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English reading list summary
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READING LISTSHORT LIST
1. Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë
This tumultuous tale of life in a bleak farmhouse on the Yorkshire moors is a popular set text for
GCSE and A-level English study, but away from the demands of the classroom it’s easier to enjoy its
drama and intensity. Populated largely by characters whose inability to control their own emotions
leads to violence and revenge, it’s a tale that spans two generations and two families. At the heart of
the story is the mysterious ‘gypsy’, Heathcliff, adopted as a ragamuffin child into the Earnshaw family
to live at Wuthering Heights. As he grows up, he becomes close to his adopted sister Cathy, falling in
love with her only to be met with crushing disappointment when she marries Edgar Linton, a kind
and gentle man from neighbouring Thrushcross Grange. Heathcliff disappears and returns a rich,
educated man bent on revenge.
2. Middlemarch, by George Eliot
Middlemarch, subtitled “A Study of Provincial Life”, is the story of the inhabitants of a Midlands
village in the 1830s. Masterfully weaving together several plotlines, the novel charts the fortunes of
an interesting cast of characters, exploring their motivations, delusions and preoccupations. The
remarkable thing about Middlemarch is the detail and realism with which George Eliot describes
emotions. Feelings you thought were unique to you are described here in a way that could be
describing your own thoughts. It’s one of the reasons why Middlemarch has been described the likes
of Martin Amis and Julian Barnes as one of the greatest English novels ever written; read it and you’ll
soon find yourself agreeing with them.
3. Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell
Nineteen Eighty-Four makes depressing but essential reading. Published in 1949, it’s the author’s
vision of a dystopian future dominated by totalitarian state surveillance, mind control and perpetual
war. At the centre of the novel is Winston, whose job is to rewrite old news stories so that they toe
the party line, whom we follow in his quest for rebellion against the government he works for. Its
memorable opening line sets the unsettling tone for the rest of this uncomfortable novel: “It was a
bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” You probably already use phrases from
this influential book without necessarily knowing it; “Big Brother” and “Room 101” are both
references taken from this novel. As you read Nineteen Eighty-Four, ask yourself: how close do you
think Orwell’s vision is to how society is today?
4. The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien
Reading list 1
, If you haven’t read the book, you’ll almost certainly have seen Peter Jackson’s epic three-part movie
adaptation of it. Incredible though the films are, there’s inevitably a lot missing from them and it’s
well worth persevering with the book’s slowish start to follow the journey of Frodo and friends more
closely. If you’re not familiar with the story, The Lord of the Rings tells the story of a hobbit, Frodo,
who must undertake a dangerous mission to the dark land of Mordor to destroy a powerful ring – a
weapon that absolutely corrupts those who come under its power. As you’ll soon find out, that’s a
highly simplified plot summary!
Reading the book, you’ll be hard-pressed not to gain a deep admiration for the detail and thought
Tolkien put into creating his imaginary world; languages, detailed family trees, maps, rich histories
and backstories – all add to the sense of realism one feels when absorbed in Tolkien’s work. You’ll
also spot some of Tolkien’s influences, such as Nordic mythology and the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf
(read this poem alongside Tolkien and you’ll notice where his inspiration for the Golden Hall came
from). If you’re new to Tolkien, you might like to read The Hobbit beforehand; it’s a lighter read than
The Lord of the Rings and it sets the backdrop for the events of the tome that follows it.
5. Diary of a Nobody, by George and Weedon Grossmith
If you’ve ever in need of a little gentle comic relief, you can’t do much better than the delightful Diary
of a Nobody. It’s the (made-up) diary of a self-important Victorian lower-middle class gentleman,
Charles Pooter, in which he details the day-to-day household quandaries and social embarrassments
we can all relate to. It was serialised in Punch magazine in Victorian times, and it’s a charming insight
into what the Victorians found funny – but in many places, it’s still laugh-out-loud funny to the
modern reader.
6. His Dark Materials, trilogy by Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials is comprised of three novels: Northern Lights (known in the US as
The Golden Compass), The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. The story is set in a fantasy world
that contains numerous parallel universes, some of which bear some resemblance to real-life Oxford.
Lyra, the protagonist, inhabits the fictional Jordan College, Oxford, in a world in which human beings
are accompanied by animal embodiments of their souls, called daemons. The initial similarities and
intriguing differences between Lyra’s world and real life will draw you in right from the start, and
you’re sure to be gripped as you accompany Lyra on a journey that sees her coming of age and
discovering that space and time are not what she expected. If you want to do some background
reading, try Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost, of which Pullman’s trilogy is a partial reinvention.
7. Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë
This novel by Emily Brontë’s elder sister Charlotte has inspired numerous film adaptations, and tells
the tale of a young governess, Jane Eyre, who goes to live and work in a foreboding country house
with an eccentric master, Edward Rochester, who hides a dark secret in a remote wing of his
sprawling home. The story focuses on Jane’s transition to adulthood, told from her perspective in the
first person. Throughout the novel we observe her sense of morality, which is tested by the situations
Reading list 2
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