The Lessons (Unabridged) [Audio Download]

I must confess to having a penchant for this "Brideshead" style of novel set in an esteemed academic environment with a group of quirky, privileged characters who adopt and mould a less wealthy, more vulnerable individual. "Brideshead Revisited" and "The Secret History" rank among my favourite novels and I guess it is comforting, as a reader, to quickly recognise the setting/plot and to simply relax and enjoy the ride!

None of characters have particularly attractive personalities and they do, to a certain extent, fall into stereotypes. Our narrator, James Stieff, a middle class undergraduate at Oxford, finds himself struggling when plunged into the big pond of academic excellence. He is at his lowest point emotionally when Jess, a gifted music student introduces him to the glittering world of Mark Winters and his chosen circle. Mark, a flamboyant homosexual, is obscenely rich but his charisma veils emotional instability. Other members of this cult like group are Franny, a Jewish intellectual, Simon, the would-be politician and Emmanuella, the exotic Spanish student. Poor ineffectual James doesn't stand a chance amongst these uber-confident figures and he is swiftly sucked into their hedonistic lifestyle.

The first half of the novel is mostly concerned with the minutiae of life at Oxford and the author vividly portrays this elitist, ethereal world but there is a sudden change of mood in the second half when our dashing group are torn asunder and have to navigate their way in the real world - they certainly lose some of their sparkle when they are confronted with real life although you do have the impression that poor James can hold his own. However....things don't exactly go to plan and you quickly realise that these "firm" friends don't really know each other at all. As we approach the denouement, we have a dreadful sense of foreboding as Mark's behaviour becomes more and more mercurial.

So, what are the lessons to be drawn from this life of ours? Our narrator James undergoes some sort of inner metamorphosis moving from the negative toned "It is ridiculous to think we can learn anything from so arbitrary an experience as life" to a perhaps more hopeful stance "That man in the mirror is me, I thought. For good or ill, that's me."

The similarities between this novel and "The Secret History", "Brideshead Revisited" and perhaps Lucie Whitehouse's "The House at Midnight" are probably a mixed blessing. If you don't like reading about the over-privileged, then this is unlikely to convert you. Doubtless some readers will be sorely tempted to compare and contrast recurring themes/characters but by doing so, you will miss out on a real gem of a story. This isn't a poor imitation - it lives and breathes with its own singular life.

I bought this book primarily because I read a number of reviews (one of which is quoted prominently on the jacket) comparing it to Donna Tartt's 'The Secret History', one of my favourite books - possibly my all-time favourite. Nothing in all the modern fiction I've ever read has matched 'The Secret History', and I was interested to see whether this novel by another talented young female author would live up to the comparison. There are indeed many similarities between the two, and at the beginning in particular the influence of Tartt's modern classic is so obvious that 'The Lessons' almost feels like an homage. Elite, highly intellectual university setting (in this case Oxford)? Check. Close-knit, mixed-sex (and sexuality) group of friends, at least some of them fabulously wealthy? Check. Somewhat naive young male narrator, less privileged than his peers? Check. The tone and dialogue, too, are remarkably similar. I couldn't help but feel the book has been specifically designed to appeal to those who loved 'The Secret History', but for me at least, it succeeded. As much as it's so clearly influenced by another writer, it's obvious Alderman is gifted and this is a great book in its own right.

As for the story, I found it enjoyable and often unpredictable but felt frustrated throughout that there wasn't more of everything. It's so eloquently written and evocative, but lacks the depth and complexity of Tartt's book and so many aspects of the story could have been expanded on. The sudden turnaround in James's feelings towards Mark could be implausible, but the author's deft handling of this twist and the realistic narrative voice makes it completely believable. I just wish I could have known more about the other characters, particularly Mark, the mystery of his troubled background and exactly how his relationship with Nicola began and developed. I almost feel like Alderman could write a whole other novel about these characters without running out of material. That said, this is still a very good book and well worth reading if you loved 'The Secret History' - to anyone who enjoyed this, I would also recommend Lucie Whitehouse's 'The House at Midnight', which is in a similar vein and also excellent.

This description of this book as a story about a group of Oxford undergraduates, their relationships and subsequent launch into real-life did not initially appeal to me, but I decided to make a start on it and see whether the author lived up to her reputation. I am pleased to say that I was rapidly drawn into the book and found myself so absorbed in it that I finished it in little more than a day. This is no juvenile tale of casual sex and drug abuse (although they do feature in it) but rather a very grown-up account of a group of young people drawn into a disturbing set of relationships, almost cult-like in its power.

James Stieff goes up to Oxford after a highly successful school career only to find that he struggles to make his mark among the elite group of students in his tutorial group. He also severely injures his leg while out running and misses a key early week in his course and finds it difficult to catch up. He had not made friendships at University and finds himself isolated and unable to find the support he needs to carry on. But one day he finds himself in Gloucester College Chapel listening to Christmas music and meets up with Jess, a musician, who takes an interest in him and invites him to a get-together in a friend's house.

The friend turns out to be Mark, a very wealthy and flamboyant young man who owns the vast, rambling Annulet House in Oxford. A circle of friends rapidly becomes evident, Jewish intellectual Franny, the beautiful Emmanuella and the self-composed, ambitious Simon. Mark is generous with his wealth and the house seems to be awash with champagne and bought-in meals far superior to the traditional take-away. Before long, Mark invites the group of friends, including Mark and Jess (now an item) to move in to Annulet House rent-free, an offer few under-graduates would find easy to resist.

James life improves greatly with the new girl-friend and the ready-made social circle. Mark however has a chaotic personality, a gay adherent of casual sex, bringing home a variety of men who he picks up in Oxford, but strongly committed to a Catholicism which enables him to confess his sins and find a weekly new start.

I would not normally care about these people enough to want to read about them. However, Naomi Alderman's skill as a writer is to create compelling personalities which make the reader want to turn the page to see what happened next. We find ourselves drawn into this set of relationships, believing that the next conversation or encounter could be of crucial importance. As the story develops there is tragedy and drama in abundance, but the story does not depend on this, but rather the fine descriptions of the progress of the relationships - Mark and James, James and Jess, Mark and his mother, Mark and Simon's sister Nicola.

This is altogether a very fine novel and suggests that in producing such a good second novel that Naomi Alderman will be with us for years to come.