Books you HAD to read at school
Discussion
For me, the works that sunk into my soul were:
Catcher in the Rye
Hamlet
Macbeth
These are the best I've read at school or university.
And also when I was given the task of writing annotated bibliography on one of these books I realized I needed help annotated bibliography writing service like this. Of course, the help came in handy and became indispensable during many years of study.
Catcher in the Rye
Hamlet
Macbeth
These are the best I've read at school or university.
And also when I was given the task of writing annotated bibliography on one of these books I realized I needed help annotated bibliography writing service like this. Of course, the help came in handy and became indispensable during many years of study.
Edited by Rtyannam on Monday 28th February 14:57
"A Tale of two cities"
Hated it. Have subsequently found that most so-called "great literature" is dull beyond belief. Recently read "Hotel du Lac" as part of the book group I'm in. *This* won the Booker Prize?!?!?!? As a Goodreads reviewer put it; "A dull grey book about a dull grey woman with a dull grey life staying in a dull grey hotel on a dull grey lake having dull grey thoughts. Probably the second most boring book I've ever (tried to) read. How other reviewers can describe it as a comedy is utterly beyond me."
I read 2 or 3 books a week. Presently reading Billy Connolly's autobiography and enjoying it enormously.
Hated it. Have subsequently found that most so-called "great literature" is dull beyond belief. Recently read "Hotel du Lac" as part of the book group I'm in. *This* won the Booker Prize?!?!?!? As a Goodreads reviewer put it; "A dull grey book about a dull grey woman with a dull grey life staying in a dull grey hotel on a dull grey lake having dull grey thoughts. Probably the second most boring book I've ever (tried to) read. How other reviewers can describe it as a comedy is utterly beyond me."
I read 2 or 3 books a week. Presently reading Billy Connolly's autobiography and enjoying it enormously.
GCSEs in the late 90s -
Jane Eyre (what 15/16 year old boy wants to read Bronte?!)
Lord of the Flies (English teacher didn't appreciate us pointing out Piggy's glasses couldn't light fires as he was short-sighted)
Shakespeare was Julius Casear
Poets were Seamus Heaney and a Jamaican guy
Jane Eyre (what 15/16 year old boy wants to read Bronte?!)
Lord of the Flies (English teacher didn't appreciate us pointing out Piggy's glasses couldn't light fires as he was short-sighted)
Shakespeare was Julius Casear
Poets were Seamus Heaney and a Jamaican guy
Clive of India, needed a dictionary to read it so many words I had never heard of, hated it
Anything by Shakespeare.
Teacher caught me reading Dr No and pulled me in front of class to ridicule what I was reading. It got me into reading though sixty years later I still have the books that I bought since. Many of them have gone yellow with age. Fleming, Neville Shute, Brian Callison, alistair McLean, Douglas Reeman, Dale Brown and Stephen Coonts.
Anything by Shakespeare.
Teacher caught me reading Dr No and pulled me in front of class to ridicule what I was reading. It got me into reading though sixty years later I still have the books that I bought since. Many of them have gone yellow with age. Fleming, Neville Shute, Brian Callison, alistair McLean, Douglas Reeman, Dale Brown and Stephen Coonts.
Did English Lit O Level. Books were (IIRC) as follows:
The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy - hated it, found it really, really dull
A Midsummer Night's Dream - (whisper it quietly) I quite enjoyed that one
Lord of the Flies - really good
Poetry was a WH Auden collection (not bad) and a general anthology that we didn't study.
The Crucible which I thought was brilliant!
We definitely read other stuff in English classes too - remember doing Julius Caesar and some Mark Twain too, but it wasn't for the exam.
We were also "expected" to always be reading something of our own choice as part of English homework from about 13 on. One of the books the teacher read to us in the first year of secondary school was The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner. As a 15 year-old, I then read Elidor by the same author (borrowed from the school library) and found it ok, but the ending was a bit of a disappointment.
When I was giving it back, the teacher (Mrs Jackson) asked me what I thought of it, so I told her, and explained why I had chosen it. I had also been a reluctant reader up to that point. She then observed that it was perhaps a little young for me and I agreed it probably was. She then asked if I had read Lord of the Rings, I replied, "No." and she said, "Perhaps you should."
I'd won a school prize that year - a book token - and I spent it on a copy of Lord of the Rings and it turned me into a reader - to the point where my mum and dad were getting worried about me reading so much! Actually got my dad reading a bit after a few years too!
The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy - hated it, found it really, really dull
A Midsummer Night's Dream - (whisper it quietly) I quite enjoyed that one
Lord of the Flies - really good
Poetry was a WH Auden collection (not bad) and a general anthology that we didn't study.
The Crucible which I thought was brilliant!
We definitely read other stuff in English classes too - remember doing Julius Caesar and some Mark Twain too, but it wasn't for the exam.
We were also "expected" to always be reading something of our own choice as part of English homework from about 13 on. One of the books the teacher read to us in the first year of secondary school was The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner. As a 15 year-old, I then read Elidor by the same author (borrowed from the school library) and found it ok, but the ending was a bit of a disappointment.
When I was giving it back, the teacher (Mrs Jackson) asked me what I thought of it, so I told her, and explained why I had chosen it. I had also been a reluctant reader up to that point. She then observed that it was perhaps a little young for me and I agreed it probably was. She then asked if I had read Lord of the Rings, I replied, "No." and she said, "Perhaps you should."
I'd won a school prize that year - a book token - and I spent it on a copy of Lord of the Rings and it turned me into a reader - to the point where my mum and dad were getting worried about me reading so much! Actually got my dad reading a bit after a few years too!
smmking1 said:
My journey began with the works of Mark Twain. He is just a brilliant writer of his time, if you ask me. I envy those who are not yet familiar with his work. I wish I could erase my memory and read it all over again.
Huck Finn was an Eng Lit O-Level book, so another Mark Twain fan here. I think I've read nearly all his stuff subsequently, the books anyway. Not a fan of Tom Sawyer though.The only other book I loved from the school reading list was The Wind in the Willows, which is still my go-to book when I'm in the doldrums.
Henry V - It was enough to put me off Shakespeare for life. Once, at work, I was finishing a job late into the night. The boss, Mr Harold, came in to give me a boost. I asked, 'What's this? A little touch of Harry in the night?' Never spoke to me directly again.
Of Mice and Men – More than enough to get me hooked on Steinbeck. I've enjoyed all his fiction, although it is fair to say quality varied at times. The Wayward Bus was about the worst, and I found it worth reading. The Log from the Sea of Contez (not the previous one), non-fiction, I reread a few times. Enjoyed it no end. Not sure why. Oddly enough, his idea of why flying fish fly has been, more or less, supported by recent biologists. East of Eden, Steinbeck’s favourite?, was great to read in the main, but a bit of an effort at times. Grapes of Wrath was my favourite.
We had Conrad’s The Rover. Didn’t enjoy it at the time, a bit of shoveling the glimpse into the ditch of what each one means I think. I now have his collected works on Kindle. They had the grace to mention Hemingway, although a bit dismissively. It made a group of us go to the library and read his books. Cracking and effective bit of teaching. Shame it was unintentional.
Poetry. My gods, they knew how to destroy enjoyment. It was years before I dared read any again. The Dylan quote works for that, except more so.
It was Bob Dylan who got me interested in poetry again. I then went onto WWI + II poets. Sod the Romantics.
Of Mice and Men – More than enough to get me hooked on Steinbeck. I've enjoyed all his fiction, although it is fair to say quality varied at times. The Wayward Bus was about the worst, and I found it worth reading. The Log from the Sea of Contez (not the previous one), non-fiction, I reread a few times. Enjoyed it no end. Not sure why. Oddly enough, his idea of why flying fish fly has been, more or less, supported by recent biologists. East of Eden, Steinbeck’s favourite?, was great to read in the main, but a bit of an effort at times. Grapes of Wrath was my favourite.
We had Conrad’s The Rover. Didn’t enjoy it at the time, a bit of shoveling the glimpse into the ditch of what each one means I think. I now have his collected works on Kindle. They had the grace to mention Hemingway, although a bit dismissively. It made a group of us go to the library and read his books. Cracking and effective bit of teaching. Shame it was unintentional.
Poetry. My gods, they knew how to destroy enjoyment. It was years before I dared read any again. The Dylan quote works for that, except more so.
It was Bob Dylan who got me interested in poetry again. I then went onto WWI + II poets. Sod the Romantics.
Yertis said:
smmking1 said:
My journey began with the works of Mark Twain. He is just a brilliant writer of his time, if you ask me. I envy those who are not yet familiar with his work. I wish I could erase my memory and read it all over again.
Huck Finn was an Eng Lit O-Level book, so another Mark Twain fan here. I think I've read nearly all his stuff subsequently, the books anyway. Not a fan of Tom Sawyer though.The only other book I loved from the school reading list was The Wind in the Willows, which is still my go-to book when I'm in the doldrums.
It's funny, I don't remember "having" to read anything as most of us were really keen to read what was given to us which included many of the titles already mentioned.
For reasons I won't go into, I was late in learning to read and I remember very clearly being taught together with the excitement which came with suddenly starting to convert the jumble of shaped lines into pictures and meaning.
I was lucky in that I had an older brother who would point me in the direction of interesting stuff - the only things he didn't approve of were Enid Blyton novels which was a world I adored.
I remember at the end of my final term at primary school, our teacher telling us to spend the summer reading as once we were in secondary, it would be hard to find the time. She was right but of course I ended up spending most of the summer playing war, climbing trees and trying to get the pretty blonde girl in the school next door interested in me.
I'm not a bookworm by any stretch of the imagination but recent illness meant that I found a lot more time to read and I'm amazed at the amount and quality of reading matter available.
My Calibre app is full of stuff to read and my e-reader often has a couple of books waiting for me.
Its fabulous when you discover a new author or novel that you get switched onto.
Great topic - I wonder what made the OP start the thread.
For reasons I won't go into, I was late in learning to read and I remember very clearly being taught together with the excitement which came with suddenly starting to convert the jumble of shaped lines into pictures and meaning.
I was lucky in that I had an older brother who would point me in the direction of interesting stuff - the only things he didn't approve of were Enid Blyton novels which was a world I adored.
I remember at the end of my final term at primary school, our teacher telling us to spend the summer reading as once we were in secondary, it would be hard to find the time. She was right but of course I ended up spending most of the summer playing war, climbing trees and trying to get the pretty blonde girl in the school next door interested in me.
I'm not a bookworm by any stretch of the imagination but recent illness meant that I found a lot more time to read and I'm amazed at the amount and quality of reading matter available.
My Calibre app is full of stuff to read and my e-reader often has a couple of books waiting for me.
Its fabulous when you discover a new author or novel that you get switched onto.
Great topic - I wonder what made the OP start the thread.
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