Letter: Shakespeare sonnet beats teen novels

Sir: I see that some teachers believe compulsory Shakespeare will 'kill the enjoyment of literature' ('Teachers angered by prospect of return to O-levels', 7 January). Last year I sat GCSE English. I studied no Shakespeare except for one sonnet, which I did out of choice. Instead, nearly all our books were written for teenagers - and said so clearly on the back. Far from enjoying this, I found it patronising, boring and impossible to study. I wrote a longer, and better, essay on a 14-line sonnet than on a novel for teenagers. If teachers will not let us read Shakespeare, the Government is right to enforce it. All my friends agree that Shakespeare is more enjoyable than what we read.

Yours,

E. HOBBS

Old Cwmbran, Gwent

7 January