Often reading a novel in
another language can seem like a daunting prospect. Many times over the years I
have enthusiastically picked out a foreign text full of determination only to
become bogged down in a sea of unfamiliar vocabulary and an underwhelming plot.
I therefore thought it might be useful to compile a short list of English novels
recommended by tutors and staff at OISE Oxford
to help more advanced English learners select a book that will hopefully nurture an interest in English literature and culture:
Bridget Jones’ Diary by Helen Fielding (1996)
For those looking for a
light-hearted read, this novel chronicles a year in the life of Bridget Jones,
a thirty-something single working woman living in London and contains her
highly entertaining musings about her career, self-image, vices, family,
friends, and romantic relationships.
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (2002)
The moving story of a teenage girl
who, after being raped and murdered, watches from her personal Heaven as her
family and friends struggle to move on with their lives while she comes to
terms with her own death.
The Secret
Garden
A classic of children’s
literature, this is a beautiful tale of a young orphan who is sent to live on
her estranged uncle’s estate where she begins to uncover the secrets of her
family’s past.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813)
More ambitious readers may
like to try this quintessentially English tale which follows the main character
Eliz abeth Bennet as she deals with
issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education, and marriage in the society
of the landed gentry of early 19th-century England.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J K Rowling (1997)
Not to be written off as a children’s
book, this magical world will capture your imagination and teach you all sorts
of wizarding vocabulary.
