Today's Read Team 
Geoff Dyer’s latest memoir, Homework, is a poignant, humorous, and deeply personal account of growing up in postwar Cheltenham, a historic English town known for its Regency architecture and elite schools. Born in 1958 to a working-class family, Dyer revisits his formative years during the 1960s and 1970s, a time when Britain was undergoing dramatic social, cultural, and economic changes. Through his uniquely sharp and self-deprecating voice, Dyer crafts a nostalgic yet incisive narrative that resonates far beyond the personal.
A Time Capsule of Working-Class Britain
The 1960s and 70s were transformative decades in Britain, defined by rapid modernization, the collapse of traditional class structures, and the rise of youth culture. Dyer’s account in Homework captures the texture of everyday life during this period, from the intricacies of family dynamics in a modest terraced home to the more expansive cultural shifts happening around him.
Dyer’s family background—a dinner lady mother and a sheet-metal worker father—is emblematic of the postwar British working class. Cheltenham, while often associated with the upper class due to its spa-town reputation and prestigious schools, was also home to many lower-income families who benefited from the postwar welfare state. Dyer’s descriptions of the unused “front room,” a sacred space kept pristine for guests, and the communal rituals of footbaths in school, evoke a vanished world that many British readers may remember with a mix of fondness and embarrassment.
Education as a Life-Changing Gateway
Central to Dyer’s story is the 11-plus exam, a nationwide standardized test introduced in 1944 under the Butler Education Act. The exam sorted children into grammar schools or secondary moderns, effectively determining their educational and professional futures. Dyer’s success on this exam enabled him to attend Cheltenham Grammar School—a significant turning point in his life.
This opportunity placed Dyer on a path toward Oxford University, an outcome that reflects the profound, often controversial role the 11-plus system played in shaping social mobility in mid-20th-century Britain. While critics have long argued that the exam reinforced class divisions, Dyer’s memoir illustrates its potential to serve as a launching pad for children from modest backgrounds. In this sense, Homework engages with a broader national conversation about equity, education, and the lingering effects of postwar policies.
Humor, Memory, and the Role of Photographs
True to form, Dyer uses humor to elevate the mundane into the sublime. Seemingly trivial childhood memories—such as a sugar obsession driven by post-rationing indulgence, or his youthful dread of school dinners—are recounted with comic flair. These vignettes not only entertain but also illuminate larger truths about British domestic life and culinary culture during a time when the country was still recovering from the scars of war and austerity.
In later chapters, Dyer contemplates the nature of memory, particularly through the lens of family photographs. These reflections are steeped in philosophical inquiry—a hallmark of his earlier works like Out of Sheer Rage and The Last Days of Roger Federer. He posits that photographs often become our primary source of remembrance, shaping how we recall moments that might otherwise fade into obscurity. This notion is especially relevant in today’s digital age, where curated images on social media platforms often replace genuine memory with stylized narratives.
A Changing Family Landscape
Dyer’s portrait of his parents is layered with affection, frustration, and sorrow. His father is a stoic presence, embodying the values of duty and hard work, while his mother is portrayed with more emotional complexity. One of the most affecting elements of Homework is Dyer’s exploration of his mother’s “thwarted aspirations”—a phrase that captures the quiet despair of many women of her generation who sacrificed personal ambitions for domestic roles.
These reflections on generational divides and evolving gender roles echo themes explored in recent British memoirs like Lemn Sissay’s My Name Is Why and Alan Johnson’s This Boy. Dyer, however, brings a lighter, often comic touch to his analysis, allowing readers to engage with difficult emotions through a lens of warmth and understanding.
Critical Acclaim and Cultural Context
Homework has been widely praised by critics in the UK and beyond. The Times lauded it for its “razor-sharp prose and unfailing wit,” while The Financial Times highlighted its “poignant and vividly detailed” evocation of a very specific time and place. The memoir arrives amid a resurgence of interest in autobiographical storytelling, particularly among male British writers revisiting working-class roots. Authors like Richard Beard (Sad Little Men) and Darren McGarvey (Poverty Safari) have similarly used personal narrative to interrogate national identity and class.
The publication of Homework also coincides with recent conversations about how Britain remembers its postwar past. In 2025, debates around grammar school reforms and social mobility continue to stir public opinion, making Dyer’s reflections on the 11-plus exam and educational access especially timely.
Universal Themes in a Local Setting
Despite its highly specific setting and context, Homework resonates with universal themes: the difficulty of growing up, the gap between generations, and the strange comfort of looking back on the places and people who shaped us. Dyer’s ability to make Cheltenham in the 1960s feel both utterly distinct and universally familiar is a testament to his literary skill.
Whether you’re familiar with Geoff Dyer’s previous works or new to his writing, Homework stands out as a deeply human memoir—witty, moving, and intellectually rewarding. In turning the lens inward, Dyer not only charts the course of his own life but also reflects the hopes, quirks, and contradictions of an entire generation.