I don’t remember most of the books I read in school. I vaguely remember reading Animal Farm, which I didn’t hate, but also didn’t love. I think I liked the discussion after the book more than actually reading the book itself. I did French Immersion up to grade 8 or 9, so I also read some French books. I remember reading a (very) abridged version of Les Misérables at one point, which again was okay, but didn’t make me want to commit to reading the complete text – in either language.
Most of the books I remember reading during this time of my life weren’t school books, they were books I read independently or books I was allowed to choose that fit certain criteria (like I remember reading A Prayer for Owen Meany in AP English in grade 11 or so). I’m kind of grateful that I didn’t have to read things like The Great Gatsby and Lord of the Flies as they don’t appeal to me at all, but some others I would have liked getting a chance to try – Dracula, Frankenstein, any of Wilde or Dickens… just to have had a bit of a push to get through them.
What about you guys? Were there any books in particular you remember disliking when you read them?
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I suffered through The Great Gatsby and Lord of the Flies. I read Orwell in my senior year, but I can’t recall if it was Animal Farm. Not really a fan either way. Love Dickens. Thanks for sharing.
Yeah, I don’t have any interest in Gatsby or LotF at all. Animal Farm was interesting once you understand the whole allegorical aspect to it, and the story was decent (and nice and short!) but it’s not one I would have really wanted to read outside of school. I have not read much Dickens, but I do love his writing once I get going – but it’s so very intricate and can be a little impenetrable for me when I’m out of practice with reading writing from the period! Which do you recommend? I’ve only finished A Christmas Carol and read half of Bleak House (I loved what I did read, though).
I’m the same way – I remember very few books I read in school and there aren’t many I didn’t care for. Brave New World is one that stuck out to me. I don’t think I got it, to be honest, and that’s why I didn’t like it much.
I haven’t read that one myself, though I keep feeling like I really should! Yeah, not getting a book can really affect enjoyment – I have had a few I’ve had that happen with. I tried to read Ulysses once and just gave up because it literally made no sense to me at all!
I remember liking many of the discussions we had about books and poetry rather than the actual books and poetry. I loved Dracula and Frankenstein, though, I read those at home for fun. We wouldn’t have been allowed to read them in my school either.
Yeah, I enjoyed discussing the books and poetry we read as well, especially in higher ed. I have both of those on my TBR and know I really need to read them – but I find the subject matter of each one a little off-putting because I’m not that interested in monsters or vampires these days (I do know that’s just the surface layer and each are about much more, but still). Why wouldn’t you be allowed to read those in school???