The Monthly Read

Pre-requisites for enrolment

No prerequisites. In order to get the most from each class, students should read the book before each session. 

Content of Course

The Monthly Read will encourage participants to read novels closely and carefully, to enjoy identifying the elements of a great novel, and to share their personal reflections. The novels will be selected to cover a range of genres, eras and countries, and to relate to the termly theme. For each novel the following elements of fiction will be considered: plot, structure, characterisation, setting, dialogue, narration, descriptive language and historical / social / political contexts. At the end of the term, participants will be asked to compare and contrast the three novels, examining the way each author deals with the connecting theme. In order to get the most from each class, students should read the book before each session - titles will be issued to students before the course start via email and the course website.

Term 1 Theme ‘Real Lives in Fiction’ will study:

• Regeneration by Pat Barker
• The Hours by Michael Cunningham
• Larchfield by Polly Clarke

Term 2 Theme ‘India’ will study:

• A Passage to India by E.M. Forster
• The Lives of Others by Neel Mukherjee
• The Patient Assassin by Anita Anand

Term 3 Theme ‘Amazing Debuts’ will study:

• The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi
• Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

Teaching method(s)

First and foremost, The Monthly Read endeavours to promote reading as a fun and rewarding experience, especially when shared with others. The tutor will give an introductory presentation and then facilitate a discussion, encouraging all to
participate. The tutor will offer guidance on literary terminology and theories as appropriate. The tutor may identify key passages of text to act as a focal point for discussion, and refer to contemporary reviews and critiques.

Learning outcomes

On completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Communicate ideas and arguments about a text using recognised literary terminology;

• Consider and identify the tools and techniques (such as setting, characterisation, dialogue and narration) used by writers to engage readers;

• Compare and contrast texts, identifying any common themes that emerge;

• Place texts within their historical, political and social contexts.

Sources

Core Readings

Students are advised to wait until the course has been confirmed to run before purchasing any of the suggested books (any edition will do).

Essential:

Barker, P. (2008) Regeneration. London: Penguin.

Clark, P. (2017) Larchfield. riverrun.

Cunningham (2003) The Hours. London: Fourth Estate.

Anand, A. (2020) The Patient Assassin: A True Tale of Massacre, Revenge and the Raj. Simon & Schuster UK.

Forster, E.M. (2020) A Passage to India. M.S.C. Books.

Mukherjee, N. (2015) The Lives of Others. London: Vintage.

Adichie, C.N. (2017) Purple Hibiscus. London: Fourth Estate.

Kureishi, H. (2017) The Buddha of Suburbia.. Faber & Faber.

Stuart, D. (2021) Shuggie Bain. London: Picador.

Recommended:

• Lodge, D. (2011) The Art of Fiction. London: Vintage
• Mullan, J. (2006) How Novels Work. Oxford: Oxford University Press
• Forster, E.M. (1962) Aspects of the Novel. Harmondsworth: Penguin

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.