The aim of this study is to find out what education in literature is like from a student perspective; what kind of literature the students read and how well they understand literature, and the methods and didactics used during the literature lessons. The questions at issue are:

1) What kind of literature do the students read?

2) How well do the students understand literary texts?

3) What do the students think about their literature education?

To be able to answer the questions, both quantitative and qualitative methods have been used in the study. The inquiry was accomplished on 29 students, 17 boys and 12 girls in the upper secondary school. The result showed, despite the limited amount of students, interesting facts. Firstly there were some differences between males and females and what kind of fiction girls and boys read. Both girls and boys read magazines and periodicals. The girls read more fiction about love than boys did. The boys rather liked to read books that are exciting and adventurous. The students also differ from one another in how much they liked to read. There were more girls than boys that liked to read a lot. The students, who didn’t like to read, stated that they had other interests or activities. They found it boring to read or had difficulties to find books that were interesting enough. Regardless sex, the students spent approximately 1 hour per week reading outside school, most of them at home before they go to sleep.

The school library plays an important role to stimulate the students to read and to find interesting books. The reading test showed that the students reading ability were good. The results have been analyzed in the light of different theories of reading and research studies. It pays attention to the importance of having focus on the student. It is not a talent to be able to read and write. It is something you can practise and develop doing your whole life. The results of the study also raised questions of importance regarding the cultural capital and canon.