The purpose of this study is to contribute knowledge about how resources of language are talked about, used and necessitated in classroom interaction based on literary texts. The specific focus is the use of lexical and grammatical metaphors in teacher-led literature work in basic adult education. The material was generated through observations, voice recordings and collected teaching materials during classroom work with literature in the subject Swedish as a second language. Linguistic theories are used in the analysis. The result shows that both hidden metaphors and more creative lexical metaphors became subjects for discussion during the book talks. Meanings of these metaphors were negotiated by the teacher relating literal meanings to figurative counterparts or, especially in cases where the link between literal and figurative meanings were obtuse, by exemplifications and synonyms. As the meanings were related to characters, plot developments and overall themes in the novel, they also played a part in understanding the novels. Additionally, the result shows that grammatical metaphors, most frequently adjectivised or nominalised verbs, were important resources for describing the characters and explaining figurative language. To use them, the second language learners used communicative strategies such as innovations and over-generalisations of word inflections. Potentials for working with metaphors in a more conscious way are discussed, for example by pointing out how conceptual metaphors such as “war against cancer” reflect cultural perceptions.