In this paper we review some of the latest theoretical contributions that have been published around the use of literature and the reading process in the teaching of Spanish as a foreign or second language. Therefore, in the first part of the study we focus particularly on the research around motivation, specifically how to motivate the student to read literature. In the second part, we present the factors that interact in the reading process in the acquisition of a foreign language and the reading comprehension strategies that can be used throughout the learning process. The main objective of this study has been to present the resources available in both fields of research in order to enhance the motivation and confidence of the A2 level student when faced with reading a literary text in a foreign language class.