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Hello everyone, what are some your least favorite classic books?

Mine has to be The Red Badge of Courage. This was perhaps one of my least favorite books I had to read for class! I was bored with the story and the movie. It was just one long description about some solider who I had no reason to talk about, I just, fell asleep. I honestly feel asleep while reading it.

Oh my, this has to be Conrad's Heart of Darkness. I studied it 3x, and I honestly couldn't get through it all 3 times; it was long, rambling, and all the other similar adjectives you could think of (I'm glad my teachers don't see this, although some of them would be the first to say it was boring). XD So until now, the truth is, I'm not entirely sure what's going on, although of course, I agree it has its own literary merits. I just...don't know how to appreciate them. LOL!

Personally, mine would be 'Great Expectations'. I found the main character really unlikable and because of that I just couldn't connect to the book at all. I left it a couple of years and tried again because I wanted to like it but I just couldn't.

I really hated The Scarlet Letter - I kept expecting it to be some sort of ahead-of-its-time novel that sympathised with the plight of women, yet instead it was actually quite chauvinistic. Also, nothing really happened in the novel! It probably could have been summarised in 20 pages, and just as much would have been said.

I never understood what was so amazing about 'The Great Gatsby' by Scott Fitzgerald. The novel was very short, it was less than one hour reading. It was quite an annoying story to me, with the Gatsby's character repeating his 'old sport' slogan over and over, and the whole plot was just not realistic. I know it's maybe crossing the line, but did anyone see the 'Family Guy' episode where they made 'The Great Gatsby's' parody? Because I think they summed it up pretty well. It was, in my opinion, shallow story with unprobable characters and short-cut plot with no point whatsoever.

Romeo and Juliet. I hate that book because I had to read multiple different versions while I was in school. I do not get this book at all. What I see is Romeo just doing it because it goes against their families not for he loves her.

I was supposed to read Gulliver's Travels or Adventures of Tom Sawyer for school. I haven't been able to complete Tom Sawyer yet. I always give up after a few chapters. So maybe I don't like it.

Another one that I didn't understand after reading was the Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. But I'm planning to re-read it.

I honestly just did not love A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens. I felt the build-up was super slow, all just for Sydney to martyr himself for a woman who may or may not love him.

I'm just not able to finish “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. I know, it comes under top 10 classic books and have a big fandom. But for me, this book is even hard to pick. 70 pages into the book still nothing exciting happens to keep me engaging. For me it was kinda boring, no offense.

gen_g wrote: ↑07 May 2020, 10:54 Oh my, this has to be Conrad's Heart of Darkness. I studied it 3x, and I honestly couldn't get through it all 3 times; it was long, rambling, and all the other similar adjectives you could think of (I'm glad my teachers don't see this, although some of them would be the first to say it was boring). XD So until now, the truth is, I'm not entirely sure what's going on, although of course, I agree it has its own literary merits. I just...don't know how to appreciate them. LOL!

We were just talking about this in our reading group. Our ringleader of sorts shared some tidbits from pop culture that were inspired by this story.
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A Tale of Two Cities was bearable thanks to the rivalry between two of my teachers revolving around the book's movie adaptations. Can't remember if we read The Great Gatsby or another story by Fitzgerald; but it was interesting whichever one it was.

For me, my least favorite classic would be Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Many have stated that it's a great literary work but I could not get through the book. The story dragged at an alarmingly slow pace for me and I couldn't bring myself to push through it all.

When I was younger, I could not understand nor did I like 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. My fist time reading, I was bored endlessly and only finished because I hated leaving a book unfinished. Years later, I reread it and it was a much better experience and I really enjoyed it and had so many questions after.

Now, This side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald has to be my least favorite. I just can't get through it and maybe I will try it again another time but as of now it's tucked away somewhere in my bookshelf

For me, it was Catcher in the Rye & Lord of the Flies. I never related to books focused on rude, egotistical teenage boys, and I never really understood why I was forced to read them. I'd take ten slow plots over one fast-paced book with no likable characters.

I could not stand "A Brave New World" or "The Handmaid's Tale". Both offered scenarios, concepts and ideas, and dystopias that conflicted with my morals and personal beliefs, especially in the relationships department. I could not relate well with these stories, which made them very hard to read. I've had to read both for multiple classes through my years in college. I still detest them to this day!

Urvashi Tripathi wrote: ↑19 Jun 2021, 13:27 I'm just not able to finish “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. I know, it comes under top 10 classic books and have a big fandom. But for me, this book is even hard to pick. 70 pages into the book still nothing exciting happens to keep me engaging. For me it was kinda boring, no offense.

I couldn't agree more. "To Kill a Mockinbird" is overrated.

I really did not like Wuthering Heights. I tried reading it but it doesn't really kept me going until I felt the need to just drop it.