We will look at a diverse range of  four fine 20th century novels, some well-known, others less so. Our brief will be to explore styles, techniques and approaches to building character and make reference to the context in which each was written. Themes span distinct locations across three continents and we will look at how social mores and patterns of behaviour influence the way each novel is structured.

• F. Scott Fitzgerald ‘The Great Gatsby’ (1925);
• Chinua Achebe ‘Things fall Apart’ (1958);
• Marilynne Robinson ‘Housekeeping’ (1981);
• Zadie Smith ‘White Teeth’ (2000)