"The Lessons"

Over the past time i have been reading a wonderful book,i really enjoyed it so i thought that i should write a summary here it is!

The lessons by Naomi Alderman is a fantastic book! It is about a group of students studying at oxford and what they all later experience in their lives. The main character is James, a handsome young physics student, who suddenly finds himself lost at Oxford after an accident where he has to take a break from school. He meets Jess another student and soon they develop a strong relationship. Jess's group of friends are all beautiful successful and filled with a life force that James completely lacks. One of the friends, mark a young very wealthy theology student invites the group to live with him and within the next many years the friends live in harmony. Jess and James stick together and soon the friends split up each going on with their lives. Jess and James move to London and Mark to everyone’s surprise marries a young woman even though they all know that Mark is gay. James feels a stab of jealousy because he discovers his feelings for mark.

Later on Mark and James start an affair. Mark becomes a dad to a little girl named Daisy. Sadly in an act of anger mark crashes the car with little daisy on the back seat Mark survives but Daisy doesn’t live to see another day.

Mark going through severe trauma needs James and Jess and James split up and James moves with mark across Europe until they settle in Italy. Here Mark starts spending time with local young men and James is left to himself.

After a few years James gets severely beaten up by Mark in an argument and decides to sleep at a local hotel. In town he meets Jess who confronts him with his relationship to Mark.

When James returns, mark won't believe him when he says hes leaving for good. The book ends with James packing his things only the ones from before mark and leaves with the train to Rome. Finally in his own way free.