We already have a thread about worst books, where we're exchanging tortured memories, often from our high school or college days. To balance that - what are some of the books that you read because they were assigned to you, but were glad you did? maybe... The Great Gatsby? (as mentioned before) I enjoyed that one... also Fahrenheit 451, To Kill A Mockingbird, All Quiet on the Western Front... I'll have to spend some time thinking of others...
Of course, I just took a literature class over the winter break, so those are freshest on my mind. I really enjoyed Pudd'nhead Wilson by Mark Twain, though. I'd never even heard of it before it was assigned to us. I'd read Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer back in High School, but never any other Twain. It was a good experience.
Anything Twain wrote was always very entertaining. Also enjoyed Farhenheit (sp?) 451 when my 7th grade class read it. Oh, can't forget Redwall, from 4th grade.
<i>Animal Farm</i> I enjoy reading and would read additional books beyond the required ones. Always partial to WW II (with focus on the Pacific battles). History and biographies were usually chosen rather than novels. Did make exceptions for Steinbeck works though.
The only shakespearean crap I liked was Casear from sophomore year. Catcher in the Rye was pretty damn nifty. I know a poster here probably likes that book also. I think you guys know who I am talking about. I just remember a book that I hated too, I have to go post it on the other thread now.
"Walden" -- Henry Thoreau "House of the Spirits" -- Isabel Allende "Lolita" -- Vladimir Nabokov "Wuthering Heights" -- Emily Bronte "The Little Prince" -- Antoine de Saint-Exupery
It wasn't a part of my high school curriculum, but I just finished reading W. Somerset Maugham's "Of Human Bondage," which was school material back in the early sixties, so I've heard. That was actually the best book I've ever read, to be honest. Maugham's writing style is a little hard to read sometimes because of his being European and born in the 1800's, but once you get accustomed to that, there's a whole lot of life-wisdom to be gained from his work. I'd definitely recommend one of his others, "The Razor's Edge," as well. If you're like me and are having struggles "growing up" into adulthood and love, I'd read the former; whereas, if you're also like me and are having struggles with religion, I'd take the latter.
Ironweed - William Kennedy Ballad of the Sad Cafe - Carson McCullers Those jump to mind, but to be honest, I've always enjoyed reading fiction for school. Non-fiction on the other hand . . .
I hated Great Expectations the first time I read it, but now get a kick out of it. And I love love love love love Hamlet. The Good Earth wasn't too shabby either.
Absalom, Absalom--Wm. Faulkner Huey Long--T. Harry Williams The Brothers Karamazov--Fyodor Dostoevsky Simple Justice--Richard Kluger The Irony of American History--Rheinhold Niebuhr The Age of Jackson--Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.
And like a ghost from the deep of the night, rimrocker appears to spread the propagana of the left....even in the wee hours of the morning when his right wing opponents have drifted off to slumber peacefully.....
