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Reading Lessons: An English Teacher’s Love Letter to the Books that Shape Us
How can a Victorian poem help teenagers understand YouTube misogyny? Can Jane Eyre encourage us to speak out? What can Lady Macbeth teach us about empathy? Should our expectations for our future be any greater than Pip’s? And why is it so important to make space for these conversations in the first place?
In a career spanning almost three decades, English teacher Carol Atherton has taught generations of students texts that will be familiar to many of us from our own schooldays. But while the staples of exam syllabuses and reading lists remain largely unchanged, their significance – and their relevance – evolves with each class, as it encounters them for the first time.
Each chapter of Reading Lessons invites us to take a fresh look at these novels, plays and poems, revealing how they have shaped our beliefs, our values, and how we interact as a society. As she recalls her own development as a teacher, Atherton emphasizes the vital, undervalued role a teacher plays, illustrates how essential reading is for developing our empathy and makes a passionate case for the enduring power of literature.
In a career spanning almost three decades, English teacher Carol Atherton has taught generations of students texts that will be familiar to many of us from our own schooldays. But while the staples of exam syllabuses and reading lists remain largely unchanged, their significance – and their relevance – evolves with each class, as it encounters them for the first time.
Each chapter of Reading Lessons invites us to take a fresh look at these novels, plays and poems, revealing how they have shaped our beliefs, our values, and how we interact as a society. As she recalls her own development as a teacher, Atherton emphasizes the vital, undervalued role a teacher plays, illustrates how essential reading is for developing our empathy and makes a passionate case for the enduring power of literature.
400 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2025
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May 10, 2025
A truly wonderful hybrid of insightful and accessible literary analysis, memoir, and passionate defence of the importance of literature and creativity.
Atherton has taught English in secondary schools in England for nearly 30 years, doing some of the same books many times, but eliciting different responses from every group of students.
In this, each theme is explored by a commonly-taught text, some of which she recalls studying when she was a student. I’d be fascinated to read an article, or even book, about how she picked these 15 texts and why she rejected others, though she does mention the politics of curriculum choice.
“We need books for different reasons. Sometimes we need them to offer us an escape… Sometimes we need them to stir us up and open our eyes to injustice. Sometimes we need them to comfort us and wrap us in their warmth. And sometimes we need then to put iron in our spines, to help us square our shoulders and face a world that is unbearably difficult.”
(From the chapter about I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.)
Image: Cosying up with a book and hot drink, by a roaring fire (Source)
On power, gender and control: My Last Duchess by Robert Browning
Atherton’s first experience of teaching was aged 15, when she was told to discuss this narrative poem with a classmate in hospital. Back then, it was all about the Duke and why he might have wanted his wife dead, and whether he made it happen. Sometimes students argue any interpretation is valid, and that there are no wrong answers in English. She disagrees: there are many valid interpretations, but there are also ones she would argue are invalid.
Nowadays, she sees this poem as a good way to discuss gender politics, misogyny, coercive control, and Andrew Tate: important issues, especially in a boys’ school, but one that’s not explicitly in the timetable. The rhythm and metre, and its being rooted in real history, appeal too.
A few months ago, I’d not heard of this, but then I read Maggie O’Farrell’s historical novel inspired by the same circumstances that Browning writes of, The Marriage Portrait (my review HERE).
On social responsibility: An Inspector Calls by JB Priestley
Priestley's play is a rallying cry for social change and collective responsibility. She typically starts by outlining the life of the young woman who has died by suicide, and asking which event would have had the most impact, and hence, who is to blame?
It’s widely taught because it’s quite straightforward - and schools have lots of copies and teaching materials because it’s been taught for so long. But it’s also still relevant and hopeful.
Atherton wants to believe that books can change the world (and she repeatedly demonstrates how they can), but she notes the irony of teaching Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (my review HERE) exposing poverty and inequality, when school was raising money for a food bank: plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
On complexity: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Atherton grew up in a small town, with a sense of restlessness, and a fascination with ghost stories, which primed her to feel connected to Scout’s world, when she first read this, aged 15. She realised:
“Books weren’t just about stories. They could also be a space for allowing you to work out complicated moral problems, for reflecting on why people make the decisions they do and considering whether you’d do the same thing if you were in their shoes.”
She explores how our relationships with books - individually and collectively - change over time. Mockingbird is about justice versus inequality, in a racially divided town. Obviously, it uses language of the period, but it’s also criticised for its white-saviour narrative and that black viewpoints are largely ignored. She was teaching in Lincolnshire during the Brexit referendum: an area with a large population of migrant farm workers - and numerous posters for Vote Leave. She gets her students to tell the story from the perspectives of those who are marginalised in a story of their own oppression. My very short review is HERE.
On gaining a voice: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
This chapter contrasts how Jane Eyre (my review HERE) finds a voice, whereas Bertha has none - something Jean Rhys fixed by writing Wide Sargasso Sea (my review HERE). Whereas Bronte emphasises the differences between Jane and Bertha, Rhys shows similarities - and both books are perfused with birds, Jane famously proclaiming:
“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”
To find her voice, Brontë, had to disguise her gender, and the novel was criticised for its “masculine hardness” and “pervading tone of ungodly discontent”. As a teen, Atherton had to find her voice to study literature: her father favoured learning on the job and working one’s way up (as he had done). He wasn’t keen on the idea of university, let alone for a subject like English.
On not fitting in: Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson
Small towns can be safe and suffocating, but mainly the latter where you don’t fit in with regular people because of your strict religion, nor with your religious sect because you don’t believe - and then realise you’re gay. Forging an identity and finding one’s people are core experiences for most teens, whatever their background. Atherton quotes a key line of Winterson’s I’ve long loved:
“Literature isn’t a hiding place. It’s a finding place.”
See my reviews of Oranges HERE, and of the more recent and explicitly factual memoir, Why be Happy when you could be Normal? HERE.
Image: ”You want weapons? We're in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world!” The Doctor, in Doctor Who (Source)
On loyalty, empathy and social mobility: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Fiction can cultivate empathy by imagining other lives, and Atherton recalls the thrill of reading the excerpts aloud to a year 8 class (aged 12), and hearing their insights. She also relates to Pip’s precarious social status: when she went to Oxford, a studious working-class northerner, she was shocked at those who saw their place as a rightful stepping-stone, and had little urge to study. Class and imposter syndrome are still barriers to many. My very short review is HERE.
On learning: A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines
Atherton’s son is her opposite in many ways: musical but not academic. But he is supported, unlike Billy Casper who adopts a falcon and teaches himself the ancient art of falconry via stolen books (he doesn’t have a library card). For years, this was taught to less-able students, partly on the assumption they would identify with the poverty and neglect. It’s hopeful, and shows beauty even in a derelict landscape, filled with waste:
“He performs the important task of making you look at the ordinary world around you through a different set of eyes.”
On seeing things differently: Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman
Apparently, the books studied in English schools today are less diverse than in the 1970s. Atherton has taught more by authors called William than by people of colour. This is an exception, as are the poems of John Agard. It’s set in a post-slavery, but racially-segregated society, dominated by the invading people and their descendants. It’s a book that gets students thinking differently, while avoiding tokenism. Its intersectionality is the epitome of teachers sowing seeds, though not necessarily seeing the full harvest. This sounds like a better exploration than Bernardine Evaristo’s Blonde Roots, which I reviewed HERE.
On behaving badly: Lord of the Flies by William Golding
When Atherton was training to teach, the news was full of stories of feral kids, so classroom management was one of her biggest fears. In her second year of teaching, she was given the toughest class, and told to teach this. It’s about leadership as much as savagery, and she realised that although she influences her students, they also influence her, and that:
“The groups who are toughest to teach can also be the most important.”
I reviewed this HERE.
On secrets, lies and family histories: Coram Boy by Jamila Gavin
This is the only one I knew nothing about - other than Thomas Coram setting up a foundling hospital that is now a museum. Atherton’s own son is adopted, and throughout literature (as Winterson always reminds us), orphans, foundlings, and lost children are blank slates for stories, yet while the curriculum covers gender and ethnicity, adoption, the care system, and living with people you’re not biologically connected to are left out. This particular book is often taught as a precursor to Dickens, and like many of the others, class is another axis.
On relationships, longings and female desire: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Texts in schools usually focus more on marriage and maybe sex than the broader canvas of desire and other emotions. Not so with this, though it’s rarely taught now. Curley’s new young wife (a nameless everywoman) is loneliest of all, and some students victim-blame her. For Atherton, it recalls memories of secretly reading Judy Blume aged 13, and before that, discovering her older sister’s Jackie magazine and learning that getting a boyfriend was what being a teenage girl was all about. For her students, social media makes exploration and fumblings easier - and riskier.
On rising, like air: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
There’s bravery, resilience, hope, and a lot of trauma in this classic. Atherton discusses trigger warnings versus glimmers, saying this novel had lots of both. Because it can be such a viscerally painful read, she thinks it better placed on a reading list (with some warnings) than being a compulsory read in class.
On emptiness and desperation: Macbeth by William Shakespeare
I know Macbeth well: I studied it at school, can quote lines from it, and summon imagery of witches, damned spots, and a moving forest. I have seen many adaptations on stage and screen, one, only a few months ago. Nevertheless, Atherton sheds light into corners I’d overlooked. Obviously, it’s about ambition, power, corruption, paranoia, and evil, but she argues it’s also about babies - and the lack of (which she relates to her own infertility): Macduff was “untimely ripped” from his mother’s womb, Lady Macbeth has previously suckled a child, and other children are murdered.
Shakespeare proves his continued relevance by the ease with which his works are reimagined in different times and places. She gets students to describe Lady Macbeth’s social media profile and feed.
Image: David Tennant and Cush Jumbo in a recent NT production (Source)
On not being enough: Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
The later years of compulsory education inevitably focus on what to do next, so a play about an aging New Yorker whose life is a disappointment might seem irrelevant, but she’s found it fruitful and enjoyable. There’s a tragic inevitability to unpleasant Willy Loman’s journey, but tragedy needs an antagonist, and this play has many possible ones: the unfair expectations of the American Dream, his own pride, the lack of real meritocracy? For teens with important exams looming, and the pressures of social media, this is relatable stuff.
On the purpose of education: The History Boys by Alan Bennett
Is English literature a vital subject or a ‘Mickey Mouse’ degree? Some think it odd that Atherton has an Oxford PhD in the subject, but chooses to teach in mainstream state schools. This famous play (and then film), shows why it’s important and worthwhile, with insight into the English class system along the way. Atherton teaches it primarily as tragedy, rather than comedy, mainly because of Hector. The pleasure he gets from giving boys a lift on his scooter is mocked by the boys, but not condoned. They tolerate it because they value him as a teacher and they’re confident it will go no further. She also points out that the one pupil most likely to be harmed by it, the gay Posner, is the only one he never offers a lift to.
I’ve long loved the work of Alan Bennett (and the very different Arnold Bennett), including this play, which I reviewed HERE.
Get a copy!
Seriously, any lover of literature should read this and will be happily enriched by doing so.
Atherton has taught English in secondary schools in England for nearly 30 years, doing some of the same books many times, but eliciting different responses from every group of students.
In this, each theme is explored by a commonly-taught text, some of which she recalls studying when she was a student. I’d be fascinated to read an article, or even book, about how she picked these 15 texts and why she rejected others, though she does mention the politics of curriculum choice.
“We need books for different reasons. Sometimes we need them to offer us an escape… Sometimes we need them to stir us up and open our eyes to injustice. Sometimes we need them to comfort us and wrap us in their warmth. And sometimes we need then to put iron in our spines, to help us square our shoulders and face a world that is unbearably difficult.”
(From the chapter about I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.)
Image: Cosying up with a book and hot drink, by a roaring fire (Source)
On power, gender and control: My Last Duchess by Robert Browning
Atherton’s first experience of teaching was aged 15, when she was told to discuss this narrative poem with a classmate in hospital. Back then, it was all about the Duke and why he might have wanted his wife dead, and whether he made it happen. Sometimes students argue any interpretation is valid, and that there are no wrong answers in English. She disagrees: there are many valid interpretations, but there are also ones she would argue are invalid.
Nowadays, she sees this poem as a good way to discuss gender politics, misogyny, coercive control, and Andrew Tate: important issues, especially in a boys’ school, but one that’s not explicitly in the timetable. The rhythm and metre, and its being rooted in real history, appeal too.
A few months ago, I’d not heard of this, but then I read Maggie O’Farrell’s historical novel inspired by the same circumstances that Browning writes of, The Marriage Portrait (my review HERE).
On social responsibility: An Inspector Calls by JB Priestley
Priestley's play is a rallying cry for social change and collective responsibility. She typically starts by outlining the life of the young woman who has died by suicide, and asking which event would have had the most impact, and hence, who is to blame?
It’s widely taught because it’s quite straightforward - and schools have lots of copies and teaching materials because it’s been taught for so long. But it’s also still relevant and hopeful.
Atherton wants to believe that books can change the world (and she repeatedly demonstrates how they can), but she notes the irony of teaching Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (my review HERE) exposing poverty and inequality, when school was raising money for a food bank: plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
On complexity: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Atherton grew up in a small town, with a sense of restlessness, and a fascination with ghost stories, which primed her to feel connected to Scout’s world, when she first read this, aged 15. She realised:
“Books weren’t just about stories. They could also be a space for allowing you to work out complicated moral problems, for reflecting on why people make the decisions they do and considering whether you’d do the same thing if you were in their shoes.”
She explores how our relationships with books - individually and collectively - change over time. Mockingbird is about justice versus inequality, in a racially divided town. Obviously, it uses language of the period, but it’s also criticised for its white-saviour narrative and that black viewpoints are largely ignored. She was teaching in Lincolnshire during the Brexit referendum: an area with a large population of migrant farm workers - and numerous posters for Vote Leave. She gets her students to tell the story from the perspectives of those who are marginalised in a story of their own oppression. My very short review is HERE.
On gaining a voice: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
This chapter contrasts how Jane Eyre (my review HERE) finds a voice, whereas Bertha has none - something Jean Rhys fixed by writing Wide Sargasso Sea (my review HERE). Whereas Bronte emphasises the differences between Jane and Bertha, Rhys shows similarities - and both books are perfused with birds, Jane famously proclaiming:
“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”
To find her voice, Brontë, had to disguise her gender, and the novel was criticised for its “masculine hardness” and “pervading tone of ungodly discontent”. As a teen, Atherton had to find her voice to study literature: her father favoured learning on the job and working one’s way up (as he had done). He wasn’t keen on the idea of university, let alone for a subject like English.
On not fitting in: Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson
Small towns can be safe and suffocating, but mainly the latter where you don’t fit in with regular people because of your strict religion, nor with your religious sect because you don’t believe - and then realise you’re gay. Forging an identity and finding one’s people are core experiences for most teens, whatever their background. Atherton quotes a key line of Winterson’s I’ve long loved:
“Literature isn’t a hiding place. It’s a finding place.”
See my reviews of Oranges HERE, and of the more recent and explicitly factual memoir, Why be Happy when you could be Normal? HERE.
Image: ”You want weapons? We're in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world!” The Doctor, in Doctor Who (Source)
On loyalty, empathy and social mobility: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Fiction can cultivate empathy by imagining other lives, and Atherton recalls the thrill of reading the excerpts aloud to a year 8 class (aged 12), and hearing their insights. She also relates to Pip’s precarious social status: when she went to Oxford, a studious working-class northerner, she was shocked at those who saw their place as a rightful stepping-stone, and had little urge to study. Class and imposter syndrome are still barriers to many. My very short review is HERE.
On learning: A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines
Atherton’s son is her opposite in many ways: musical but not academic. But he is supported, unlike Billy Casper who adopts a falcon and teaches himself the ancient art of falconry via stolen books (he doesn’t have a library card). For years, this was taught to less-able students, partly on the assumption they would identify with the poverty and neglect. It’s hopeful, and shows beauty even in a derelict landscape, filled with waste:
“He performs the important task of making you look at the ordinary world around you through a different set of eyes.”
On seeing things differently: Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman
Apparently, the books studied in English schools today are less diverse than in the 1970s. Atherton has taught more by authors called William than by people of colour. This is an exception, as are the poems of John Agard. It’s set in a post-slavery, but racially-segregated society, dominated by the invading people and their descendants. It’s a book that gets students thinking differently, while avoiding tokenism. Its intersectionality is the epitome of teachers sowing seeds, though not necessarily seeing the full harvest. This sounds like a better exploration than Bernardine Evaristo’s Blonde Roots, which I reviewed HERE.
On behaving badly: Lord of the Flies by William Golding
When Atherton was training to teach, the news was full of stories of feral kids, so classroom management was one of her biggest fears. In her second year of teaching, she was given the toughest class, and told to teach this. It’s about leadership as much as savagery, and she realised that although she influences her students, they also influence her, and that:
“The groups who are toughest to teach can also be the most important.”
I reviewed this HERE.
On secrets, lies and family histories: Coram Boy by Jamila Gavin
This is the only one I knew nothing about - other than Thomas Coram setting up a foundling hospital that is now a museum. Atherton’s own son is adopted, and throughout literature (as Winterson always reminds us), orphans, foundlings, and lost children are blank slates for stories, yet while the curriculum covers gender and ethnicity, adoption, the care system, and living with people you’re not biologically connected to are left out. This particular book is often taught as a precursor to Dickens, and like many of the others, class is another axis.
On relationships, longings and female desire: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Texts in schools usually focus more on marriage and maybe sex than the broader canvas of desire and other emotions. Not so with this, though it’s rarely taught now. Curley’s new young wife (a nameless everywoman) is loneliest of all, and some students victim-blame her. For Atherton, it recalls memories of secretly reading Judy Blume aged 13, and before that, discovering her older sister’s Jackie magazine and learning that getting a boyfriend was what being a teenage girl was all about. For her students, social media makes exploration and fumblings easier - and riskier.
On rising, like air: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
There’s bravery, resilience, hope, and a lot of trauma in this classic. Atherton discusses trigger warnings versus glimmers, saying this novel had lots of both. Because it can be such a viscerally painful read, she thinks it better placed on a reading list (with some warnings) than being a compulsory read in class.
On emptiness and desperation: Macbeth by William Shakespeare
I know Macbeth well: I studied it at school, can quote lines from it, and summon imagery of witches, damned spots, and a moving forest. I have seen many adaptations on stage and screen, one, only a few months ago. Nevertheless, Atherton sheds light into corners I’d overlooked. Obviously, it’s about ambition, power, corruption, paranoia, and evil, but she argues it’s also about babies - and the lack of (which she relates to her own infertility): Macduff was “untimely ripped” from his mother’s womb, Lady Macbeth has previously suckled a child, and other children are murdered.
Shakespeare proves his continued relevance by the ease with which his works are reimagined in different times and places. She gets students to describe Lady Macbeth’s social media profile and feed.
Image: David Tennant and Cush Jumbo in a recent NT production (Source)
On not being enough: Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
The later years of compulsory education inevitably focus on what to do next, so a play about an aging New Yorker whose life is a disappointment might seem irrelevant, but she’s found it fruitful and enjoyable. There’s a tragic inevitability to unpleasant Willy Loman’s journey, but tragedy needs an antagonist, and this play has many possible ones: the unfair expectations of the American Dream, his own pride, the lack of real meritocracy? For teens with important exams looming, and the pressures of social media, this is relatable stuff.
On the purpose of education: The History Boys by Alan Bennett
Is English literature a vital subject or a ‘Mickey Mouse’ degree? Some think it odd that Atherton has an Oxford PhD in the subject, but chooses to teach in mainstream state schools. This famous play (and then film), shows why it’s important and worthwhile, with insight into the English class system along the way. Atherton teaches it primarily as tragedy, rather than comedy, mainly because of Hector. The pleasure he gets from giving boys a lift on his scooter is mocked by the boys, but not condoned. They tolerate it because they value him as a teacher and they’re confident it will go no further. She also points out that the one pupil most likely to be harmed by it, the gay Posner, is the only one he never offers a lift to.
I’ve long loved the work of Alan Bennett (and the very different Arnold Bennett), including this play, which I reviewed HERE.
Get a copy!
Seriously, any lover of literature should read this and will be happily enriched by doing so.
April 28, 2024
6 stars. Beyond.
This was an absolutely stunning read and moved me to tears on a number of occasions.
I read it as an English teacher who has taught nearly all of the texts Atherton refers to. With each text she encouraged me to rethink a few of the ways I have taught it. I immediately taught Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’ after reading her chapter on it - because something new had gone click. The way Atherton allows each chapter to engage with debates around teaching and specifically English teaching was so wonderfully done.
I read her book as a reader of books. I have had my own specific relationship with all of texts she discusses. Some were similar to Atherton’s, some very different. Each of them have touched me in their different ways. She offered new ways of seeing them; she provided context; she argued for their relevance today. She has made me want to go back and reread all of them (aside from the ones I know almost by heart already).
I read the book also as a memoir. A powerful and moving memoir about being an outsider. About finding one’s own path. About weasels at night. About the connection one can have with words. About the joy and pain of teaching, as politicians mess with the profession. About the absolutely key role teachers have had in Atherton’s own life - we all have those teachers.
And incredibly despite engaging with such complicated and various ideas, the prose is stunning. Easy to read. Funny. Uplifting. Lyrical. I listened to it being read by Emma Cunniffe and she read it very well.
My best read so far this year, by a long way.
This was an absolutely stunning read and moved me to tears on a number of occasions.
I read it as an English teacher who has taught nearly all of the texts Atherton refers to. With each text she encouraged me to rethink a few of the ways I have taught it. I immediately taught Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’ after reading her chapter on it - because something new had gone click. The way Atherton allows each chapter to engage with debates around teaching and specifically English teaching was so wonderfully done.
I read her book as a reader of books. I have had my own specific relationship with all of texts she discusses. Some were similar to Atherton’s, some very different. Each of them have touched me in their different ways. She offered new ways of seeing them; she provided context; she argued for their relevance today. She has made me want to go back and reread all of them (aside from the ones I know almost by heart already).
I read the book also as a memoir. A powerful and moving memoir about being an outsider. About finding one’s own path. About weasels at night. About the connection one can have with words. About the joy and pain of teaching, as politicians mess with the profession. About the absolutely key role teachers have had in Atherton’s own life - we all have those teachers.
And incredibly despite engaging with such complicated and various ideas, the prose is stunning. Easy to read. Funny. Uplifting. Lyrical. I listened to it being read by Emma Cunniffe and she read it very well.
My best read so far this year, by a long way.
March 20, 2024
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group for letting me share my honest opinions of this eBook.
I liked the sentiment of this book more than the book itself. Reading Lessons: The Books We Read at School, the Conversations They Spark and Why They Matter is making a stand for literature. The 15 books chosen are suited for a school syllabus and diverse in the themes and issues they cover. The book discussion is mixed with Carol Atherton’s experience as a teacher in a variety of schools in England and some personal biography. What Atherton shares is relevant to the discussion, where sometimes I was not sure it was needed but appreciated its warm and friendly nature.
There is a lot here that I have taken away with me, and I wanted to like it more than I did. I enjoyed the first three chapters the most. Here, I came away with a lot of new and interesting information that made me think about those books differently. The remainder were enjoyable but it didn’t seem as complete as the first three, or maybe I was distracted by the book chapters that started with ‘on …. ‘, which didn’t make sense to me but I could see that they were more like prompts of what to expect in that chapter.
Regardless, there were several times I was wishing Atherton had been my school teacher, the teaching methods she shared made the books jump to life that would show the relevant of it to a young mind.
This book is perfect for a conversation starter, especially for parents of young people who are reading these books and want to share this experience with them.
What I like the most about this read is how Atherton left me with the impression that books, fiction and reading are still relevant and should not be under estimated in how they help us to see a point of view we are not familiar with.
I liked the sentiment of this book more than the book itself. Reading Lessons: The Books We Read at School, the Conversations They Spark and Why They Matter is making a stand for literature. The 15 books chosen are suited for a school syllabus and diverse in the themes and issues they cover. The book discussion is mixed with Carol Atherton’s experience as a teacher in a variety of schools in England and some personal biography. What Atherton shares is relevant to the discussion, where sometimes I was not sure it was needed but appreciated its warm and friendly nature.
There is a lot here that I have taken away with me, and I wanted to like it more than I did. I enjoyed the first three chapters the most. Here, I came away with a lot of new and interesting information that made me think about those books differently. The remainder were enjoyable but it didn’t seem as complete as the first three, or maybe I was distracted by the book chapters that started with ‘on …. ‘, which didn’t make sense to me but I could see that they were more like prompts of what to expect in that chapter.
Regardless, there were several times I was wishing Atherton had been my school teacher, the teaching methods she shared made the books jump to life that would show the relevant of it to a young mind.
This book is perfect for a conversation starter, especially for parents of young people who are reading these books and want to share this experience with them.
What I like the most about this read is how Atherton left me with the impression that books, fiction and reading are still relevant and should not be under estimated in how they help us to see a point of view we are not familiar with.
March 31, 2024
Dedicating each chapter to a classic text from the GCSE/A-level English Literature curriculum, Atherton draws on her teaching (and life!) experience to explore their enduring relevance inside and outside of the classroom.
This is a total nostalgia trip, with many of the reflections delivered with fondness. At the same time, it is a bold, rallying cry in defence of the value of an arts education and the teaching profession - and I really appreciated how Atherton doesn’t shy away from confronting the challenges.
If you love books or education, this is one worth picking up - or pressing into the hands of an influential teacher.
Thank you to Penguin and netgalley for the proof!
This is a total nostalgia trip, with many of the reflections delivered with fondness. At the same time, it is a bold, rallying cry in defence of the value of an arts education and the teaching profession - and I really appreciated how Atherton doesn’t shy away from confronting the challenges.
If you love books or education, this is one worth picking up - or pressing into the hands of an influential teacher.
Thank you to Penguin and netgalley for the proof!
January 24, 2025
I don’t read a huge amount of non-fiction, but the subject of books and why they matter will always strike a chord with me.
Reading Lessons by Carol Atherton is an outstanding book that explores some of the key texts often studied at school, delves into the deeper conversations these texts spark and why they matter.
Some of the texts covered are ones I studied at school myself, and I found those chapters particularly interesting, as I can see how teaching has changed to include current affairs.
For example, I found My Last Duchess to be a brilliant yet tragic poem when I was taught it in secondary school and Andrew Tate was (thankfully) not a issue at the time. However, Atherton mentions the similarities between the Duke and Tate. To create a bridge between a centuries old text and modern issues like Tate’s misogyny will hopefully lead to both a greater understanding of the text and encourage more young people to question the vitriol figures like Tate spout on social media.
Even the chapters on texts I haven’t read were fascinating, and made me add them to my TBR immediately. I can see why these texts are so well studied as they allow for discussion in often multiple directions.
Atherton also highlights how literature opens the door for empathy. We need to understand other people, other cultures, other values, and understand that people come in all different guises. By reading about people, we can try to understand them. That oft-quoted To Kill A Mockingbird line about walking around in another man’s skin is famous for a reason.
In the afterword Atherton mentions how the studying of English is under threat, with STEM subjects often promoted as more likely to result in a good job (untrue, as Atherton’s research shows), and therefore this book is a gateway to remind us why the study of literature is so vital. The books we read at school can shape us, often staying with us long into adulthood.
And finally, lets not forget the joys of reading in our personal lives too. Reading gives comfort and improves our mental health. Reading gives us an escape when we have no place to go.
If you have any interest in literature or English teaching specifically, this is a must read. If any of the books mentioned are ones you hated at school, maybe give those chapters a read!
Reading Lessons by Carol Atherton is an outstanding book that explores some of the key texts often studied at school, delves into the deeper conversations these texts spark and why they matter.
Some of the texts covered are ones I studied at school myself, and I found those chapters particularly interesting, as I can see how teaching has changed to include current affairs.
For example, I found My Last Duchess to be a brilliant yet tragic poem when I was taught it in secondary school and Andrew Tate was (thankfully) not a issue at the time. However, Atherton mentions the similarities between the Duke and Tate. To create a bridge between a centuries old text and modern issues like Tate’s misogyny will hopefully lead to both a greater understanding of the text and encourage more young people to question the vitriol figures like Tate spout on social media.
Even the chapters on texts I haven’t read were fascinating, and made me add them to my TBR immediately. I can see why these texts are so well studied as they allow for discussion in often multiple directions.
Atherton also highlights how literature opens the door for empathy. We need to understand other people, other cultures, other values, and understand that people come in all different guises. By reading about people, we can try to understand them. That oft-quoted To Kill A Mockingbird line about walking around in another man’s skin is famous for a reason.
In the afterword Atherton mentions how the studying of English is under threat, with STEM subjects often promoted as more likely to result in a good job (untrue, as Atherton’s research shows), and therefore this book is a gateway to remind us why the study of literature is so vital. The books we read at school can shape us, often staying with us long into adulthood.
And finally, lets not forget the joys of reading in our personal lives too. Reading gives comfort and improves our mental health. Reading gives us an escape when we have no place to go.
If you have any interest in literature or English teaching specifically, this is a must read. If any of the books mentioned are ones you hated at school, maybe give those chapters a read!
October 24, 2025
Must-read voor alle docenten Engels en eigenlijk ook voor alle liefhebbers van boeken. Een prachtige ode aan lesgeven en lezen, heel inspirerend.
October 13, 2024
“The best reading lessons never really finish. There is always something else to say.”
April 4, 2024
My full review will appear on the My Weekly website in April but it crossed my mind I should add my thoughts here too:
If you’ve ever read a single word of a book, if you’re a human being, you need to read Reading Lessons. It is stunning.
If you’ve ever read a single word of a book, if you’re a human being, you need to read Reading Lessons. It is stunning.
June 26, 2024
Hugely enjoyable book about the books that Carol Atherton has taught as an English teacher, why they matter, and why teaching English is important. Each chapter is devoted to a different book. I would have loved to have a teacher like Carol when I was at school.
June 2, 2024
Read it!
What a brilliant book. So powerful! Reading is so important, possibly even more so now, and this book beautifully explains why.
What a brilliant book. So powerful! Reading is so important, possibly even more so now, and this book beautifully explains why.
April 10, 2025
Inspiring, full of reflection on English literature, on teaching English literature, on learning about life through reading. Reading Lessons really is a love letter to reading, teaching and why it is so important read.
“The books we read at school contribute to our lives in so many ways. They ask us questions that are not asked in other lessons, with answers that are not necessarily right or wrong. They reach out beyond the classroom and alert us to aspects of the world that seem bewildering and unfair. They are by no means perfect they might reflect parts of our culture, our shared past, that demand interrogation, and we need to be able to challenge them and unpick the complexities they contain.”
“The books we read at school contribute to our lives in so many ways. They ask us questions that are not asked in other lessons, with answers that are not necessarily right or wrong. They reach out beyond the classroom and alert us to aspects of the world that seem bewildering and unfair. They are by no means perfect they might reflect parts of our culture, our shared past, that demand interrogation, and we need to be able to challenge them and unpick the complexities they contain.”
June 9, 2025
A great book to read at the end of a teaching year to reignite the passions for teaching English. I really enjoyed the structure of the book, with its celebration of a key teaching/reading text interwoven with a deeply personal story.
Works covered:
- 'My Last Duchess'
- An Inspector Calls
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea
- Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit
- Great Expectations
- A Kestrel for a Knave
- Noughts and Crosses
- Lord of the Flies
- Coram Boy
- Of Mice and Men
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
- Macbeth
- Death of a Salesman
- The History Boys
Works covered:
- 'My Last Duchess'
- An Inspector Calls
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea
- Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit
- Great Expectations
- A Kestrel for a Knave
- Noughts and Crosses
- Lord of the Flies
- Coram Boy
- Of Mice and Men
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
- Macbeth
- Death of a Salesman
- The History Boys
April 20, 2024
Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me a copy to review.
As someone who had complicated feelings about school and English, I was intrigued to see how I would feel reading a book about all the boring books I read and studied in school. Will this change my thoughts about any of the books? Will it make me appreciate my English classes more?
Overall, yes. I thoroughly enjoyed dissecting these stories and learning that we can still learn something from these texts even today many years/decades/centuries later. While in school I hated analysing texts, now as an adult and a bookseller who reviews and promotes books for a living, I love diving in and seeing what I can take away or notice from a story. I liked looking at these texts from different lenses and I enjoyed hearing all the anecdotes that Atherton shared about her time in the classroom both when she was a student and as a teacher. My favourite section had to be the one on A Kestral for a Knave. It nearly had me crying on my commute home!
As someone who had complicated feelings about school and English, I was intrigued to see how I would feel reading a book about all the boring books I read and studied in school. Will this change my thoughts about any of the books? Will it make me appreciate my English classes more?
Overall, yes. I thoroughly enjoyed dissecting these stories and learning that we can still learn something from these texts even today many years/decades/centuries later. While in school I hated analysing texts, now as an adult and a bookseller who reviews and promotes books for a living, I love diving in and seeing what I can take away or notice from a story. I liked looking at these texts from different lenses and I enjoyed hearing all the anecdotes that Atherton shared about her time in the classroom both when she was a student and as a teacher. My favourite section had to be the one on A Kestral for a Knave. It nearly had me crying on my commute home!
March 21, 2025
I LOVED THIS - the kind of book I wish I’d written myself. Even though I hadn’t studied a lot of the texts Atherton discusses in this book, I loved how she brought out a key lesson from each and highlighted the importance of reading and literature in everyday life. Interwoven with personal stories, this book was touching and heartfelt, and made me think a lot about what I want my children to be taught.
April 14, 2024
Full disclosure: I had the privilege to have Carol Atherton as my A-Level English Teacher. With that said, as one of the English teachers she’s “sent out into the world”, I also think I can be objective about books.
This one is fantastic. It evaluates many of the books that we will remember from school (and beyond!) and explores just how important their lessons were and still are. It looks at how books change due to evolving social context and how some books reach through time and grasp you in their hands regardless of how far back they were first produced.
Ultimately, as Dr Atherton says at the end, it is a love letter to English teaching, and an incredibly enjoyable read!
This one is fantastic. It evaluates many of the books that we will remember from school (and beyond!) and explores just how important their lessons were and still are. It looks at how books change due to evolving social context and how some books reach through time and grasp you in their hands regardless of how far back they were first produced.
Ultimately, as Dr Atherton says at the end, it is a love letter to English teaching, and an incredibly enjoyable read!
December 30, 2024
I absolutely loved this book. Atherton’s passion for teaching literature, her championing of its worth as a subject to study, without ever being patronising or unrealistic about the challenges of teaching, was inspiring. Anyone who has ever denigrated the profession, suggested English is ‘just reading’, implied it’s less academic or less worthwhile than STEM study, would do well to read this book. As would anyone who remembers (fondly or otherwise) something they read in school, or a teacher who made a difference. A wonderful book.
January 17, 2024
Thank you Penguin, Carol Atherton and Netgally for the ARC. Reading this book has been an honour and a privilege!
Stumbling onto “Reading Lessons” was mere chance and scrolling through upcoming titles, that if I hadn’t stopped to click it because of the title and cover, I would have missed probably what will be in my top 10 books of 2024. A nonfiction book, too! I went into this book expecting a dry literary analysis of the works students all over the world study in English Literature, and I ended up in tears only after chapter one. There were other moments in the book where I either got teary-eyed or straight up had to stop reading so I can stop crying, and then went back to reading and crying some more. Last chapters and afterword, I’m looking at you! Even after I got the approval email from Netgalley I didn’t immediately start “Reading Lessons”, I was burned out and disappointed from the books I was reading before that, but once I started “Reading Lessons”, I couldn’t stop. The writing and voice of the author are so captivating and inviting. I wanted to know more about the world and English Literature through the eyes of the author. About them as a person and as a teacher, how they tackle different topics and books, and difficulties in the classroom.
Even if you’re not familiar with a literary work or author,Atherton gives you a good summary of both what the work is about and what are the major themes and points of interest. They also offer - at least for me - different interpretations on these literary works. For examples, I hadn’t thought of this analysis of Lady Macbeth or the whole of “Macbeth” before this. This book also made me want to reread “Great Expectations”, and I had the worst time having to read Dickens in university. Now I’m craving revisiting Pip’s journey.
“Reading Lessons” was a pleasure to read, very insightful and a delight. I myself am an English Major and I love reading and studying literature but teaching is not for me. Yet I have nothing but respect and admiration for teachers. The reason why I did an MA in English Literature is because I had an inspiring professor in university, who supported me through my MA. It’s abundantly clear that Atherton both loves her job and is great at it. I am envious of the students who got to learn under her, and got to experience first hand what was described in the book.
This is a nonfiction book about literature and literary analysis, both in and outside the classroom. It offers an insight of the educational system (primarily in the UK), but this is also a great, beautifully written memoir. I recommend this book wholeheartedly, and hope it encourages more people to read and enjoy books, or reevaluate the role teachers play in our lives and society.
Stumbling onto “Reading Lessons” was mere chance and scrolling through upcoming titles, that if I hadn’t stopped to click it because of the title and cover, I would have missed probably what will be in my top 10 books of 2024. A nonfiction book, too! I went into this book expecting a dry literary analysis of the works students all over the world study in English Literature, and I ended up in tears only after chapter one. There were other moments in the book where I either got teary-eyed or straight up had to stop reading so I can stop crying, and then went back to reading and crying some more. Last chapters and afterword, I’m looking at you! Even after I got the approval email from Netgalley I didn’t immediately start “Reading Lessons”, I was burned out and disappointed from the books I was reading before that, but once I started “Reading Lessons”, I couldn’t stop. The writing and voice of the author are so captivating and inviting. I wanted to know more about the world and English Literature through the eyes of the author. About them as a person and as a teacher, how they tackle different topics and books, and difficulties in the classroom.
Even if you’re not familiar with a literary work or author,Atherton gives you a good summary of both what the work is about and what are the major themes and points of interest. They also offer - at least for me - different interpretations on these literary works. For examples, I hadn’t thought of this analysis of Lady Macbeth or the whole of “Macbeth” before this. This book also made me want to reread “Great Expectations”, and I had the worst time having to read Dickens in university. Now I’m craving revisiting Pip’s journey.
“Reading Lessons” was a pleasure to read, very insightful and a delight. I myself am an English Major and I love reading and studying literature but teaching is not for me. Yet I have nothing but respect and admiration for teachers. The reason why I did an MA in English Literature is because I had an inspiring professor in university, who supported me through my MA. It’s abundantly clear that Atherton both loves her job and is great at it. I am envious of the students who got to learn under her, and got to experience first hand what was described in the book.
This is a nonfiction book about literature and literary analysis, both in and outside the classroom. It offers an insight of the educational system (primarily in the UK), but this is also a great, beautifully written memoir. I recommend this book wholeheartedly, and hope it encourages more people to read and enjoy books, or reevaluate the role teachers play in our lives and society.
March 6, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book, which is not only a love letter to teaching English Literature but to teaching as a process and reading as a key skill.
It is amazing to read how a skilled, knowledgeable and sensitive teacher approaches these titles, part of the bedrock of secondary school English teaching.
But in many ways it is the afterword that sings out and which is so meaningful.
"For one thing, the ability to read sensitively and write precisely is vital, not only in many workplaces but also to participating in the life of a democracy. We need to be able to spot when others are using words to manipulate us; we need to be able to critique and challenge and hold to account. As consumers, we need to be able to detect false promises and see through weasel words. And as human beings, we need to use language for a host of reasons: to build relationships and reach out to others, to express our thoughts and frustrations, to persuade and entertain and imagine and create, to share joy, deliver bad news and offer comfort."
She also highlights the value if reading for all of us
"It’s vital , then , that we continue to fight for the importance of books, and that we give our children the chance to read and explore all the many ways in which people have interpreted the world through texts. Novels and plays and poems, memoirs and nature writing, films and songs and spoken-word poetry, animations and video games and television drama: all part of an ongoing conversation about the world, and a conversation that our young people need to join."
The whole text spoke to me, I'll be returning to it, and sharing g it far and wide. Thank you so much
It is amazing to read how a skilled, knowledgeable and sensitive teacher approaches these titles, part of the bedrock of secondary school English teaching.
But in many ways it is the afterword that sings out and which is so meaningful.
"For one thing, the ability to read sensitively and write precisely is vital, not only in many workplaces but also to participating in the life of a democracy. We need to be able to spot when others are using words to manipulate us; we need to be able to critique and challenge and hold to account. As consumers, we need to be able to detect false promises and see through weasel words. And as human beings, we need to use language for a host of reasons: to build relationships and reach out to others, to express our thoughts and frustrations, to persuade and entertain and imagine and create, to share joy, deliver bad news and offer comfort."
She also highlights the value if reading for all of us
"It’s vital , then , that we continue to fight for the importance of books, and that we give our children the chance to read and explore all the many ways in which people have interpreted the world through texts. Novels and plays and poems, memoirs and nature writing, films and songs and spoken-word poetry, animations and video games and television drama: all part of an ongoing conversation about the world, and a conversation that our young people need to join."
The whole text spoke to me, I'll be returning to it, and sharing g it far and wide. Thank you so much
April 27, 2024
Really enjoyed this - but might be biased as an English teacher too! Recognised many of the books from over my own teaching career but what was refreshing to read was the perspective that the author placed both on the text and her pupils/students. English teacher after my own heart as I too think so much of literature resonates with human life and understanding each other -the author should also delve into English Lang A level. But reading this has given me fresh perspective on To Kill a Mocking Bird and Macbeth in particular.
Three cheers also for the Afterword where as a teacher and lover of books the author really provides an antidote to the rush towards all things STEM in school and education. School leaders, DfE ministers and anyone involved in the shaping of our national curriculum would do well to read this book and the Afterword in particular to have a greater understanding on why Literature, English and the Humanities are so vital to our education system.
Three cheers also for the Afterword where as a teacher and lover of books the author really provides an antidote to the rush towards all things STEM in school and education. School leaders, DfE ministers and anyone involved in the shaping of our national curriculum would do well to read this book and the Afterword in particular to have a greater understanding on why Literature, English and the Humanities are so vital to our education system.
September 9, 2024
Somehow both nostalgic and clear-sighted, a thorough state-of-the-nation of the English Literature curriculum in England. Atherton infuses her observations on and analysis of the books we read at school with charming anecdotes from her own teaching life that really drive the point home: the teaching of literature is invaluable, enriching and life-affirming. Highly recommend for those who work in an education setting, or those who have fond memories of the English classroom.
January 20, 2024
With thanks to Netgalley for the early copy of this book.
I loved this book. I wish Carol Atherton had been my English teacher! This book was really easy to dip in and out of which was helpful as I often needed a period of reflection after each essay. I would really recommend it to anyone who loves books and likes to read books about books.
I loved this book. I wish Carol Atherton had been my English teacher! This book was really easy to dip in and out of which was helpful as I often needed a period of reflection after each essay. I would really recommend it to anyone who loves books and likes to read books about books.
March 25, 2025
Started off quite enjoyably enough and as a fellow English teacher I could relate to a lot of the comments. However, descended into tale of working class hero from the north who gets into Oxford through sheer determination with a bit of politics thrown in for good measure.🥱
April 5, 2025
With each chapter framed by a different text that exists/has existed on GCSE/A Level English literature curriculum this text is a love letter to books and to reading. It is also a powerful reminder of the impact they can have if we pay enough attention, and a love letter to teachers and to learning.
As someone who has studied and is still studying literature in-depth this was a phenomenal read. It spoke to and moved me on so many levels by reminding me what is so special and important about it: we can learn so much about the world, others, and ourselves through reading and studying books.
I love how Atherton also recognised the importance of reading for pure enjoyment. How it provides us with comfort and escape which does absolute wonders for mental health.
I loved this. If you are passionate about reading, literature, or learning (or all 3!!) this is a great read!
As someone who has studied and is still studying literature in-depth this was a phenomenal read. It spoke to and moved me on so many levels by reminding me what is so special and important about it: we can learn so much about the world, others, and ourselves through reading and studying books.
I love how Atherton also recognised the importance of reading for pure enjoyment. How it provides us with comfort and escape which does absolute wonders for mental health.
I loved this. If you are passionate about reading, literature, or learning (or all 3!!) this is a great read!
October 20, 2025
Een hartverwarmende liefdesbrief aan de Engelse literatuur van een bevlogen docent Engels. Carol Atherton neemt je mee door een selectie werken die zij tijdens haar carrière met haar leerlingen heeft behandeld en de levenlessen die zij en haar leerlingen daaraan hebben overgehouden. Baanbrekende lessen? Niet per se. Wat dit boek wel geeft is het comfort en de empathie die je alleen van een gepassioneerde docent kan ontvangen.
April 8, 2024
Reading Lessons is a chance for those of us brought up in the UK to relive texts we studied at secondary school, as well as gain access to novels that we may have missed - the worlds that they create, and learn about the way in which they open windows into the lives of people who don't resemble us - or, alternatively, see ourselves.
Dr Atherton takes us back to the classroom and pulls out the key, as well as sometimes subtle (such as the Macbeths' infertility), themes of these books. She shows how novels help her make sense of her own life, which she generously shares details of as an individual, as a teacher, and as a member of society: comparing Duke Ferrara to Andrew Tate; reading Maya Angelou's first person accounts to make what happened to George Floyd seem much more immediate to children living in the Lincolnshire Fens. The review of Oranges are not the only fruit about a teenager coming to terms with her homosexuality resonated for me, remembering a friend whose difficulty at school I only retrospectively came to see (too late to retain his friendship).
Each chapter is helpfully named after a different popularly text for our future reference. I listened to the audiobook, and found the actress's voice resembled Dr Atherton's.
Dr Atherton takes us back to the classroom and pulls out the key, as well as sometimes subtle (such as the Macbeths' infertility), themes of these books. She shows how novels help her make sense of her own life, which she generously shares details of as an individual, as a teacher, and as a member of society: comparing Duke Ferrara to Andrew Tate; reading Maya Angelou's first person accounts to make what happened to George Floyd seem much more immediate to children living in the Lincolnshire Fens. The review of Oranges are not the only fruit about a teenager coming to terms with her homosexuality resonated for me, remembering a friend whose difficulty at school I only retrospectively came to see (too late to retain his friendship).
Each chapter is helpfully named after a different popularly text for our future reference. I listened to the audiobook, and found the actress's voice resembled Dr Atherton's.
April 18, 2024
What a wonderful book! I loved exploring all the texts and hearing how they have impacted the author and her students.
April 23, 2024
Couldn't get enough of this book. I'm a primary school teacher so some of the teaching commentary resonated with me, although secondary is a different kettle of fish entirely. I think the way the author has structured the hook, with a chapter for each book and all of the lessons we can take from it, is really compelling and original. I was truly sorry when it came to an end and am already hoping the author might have enough potential chapters up her sleeve for another in the future!!
August 29, 2025
Brilliant! I learned so much from this book. Really eye opening and quite inspiring.
October 25, 2025
Super exploratory and thought-provoking. Got lots of new book recommendations now! I loved it!
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