Books that you studied at school

Aderonke1 · Post by **Aderonke1** » 21 Jul 2013, 10:13

I studied To kill a mocking bird, Macbeth, Joys of motherhood and Things fall apart.

npandit · Post by **npandit** » 21 Jul 2013, 11:24

"The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver--dripping with symbolism, gripping, entertaining, and so well researched and well written, makes you ask questions and think about the world from a unique perspective.

"Till We Have Faces" by CS Lewis--Entertaining and interesting twist on an ancient story.

Steve Freeman · Post by **Steve Freeman** » 21 Jul 2013, 13:47

AliceRose wrote:I can't remember many, but I do remember doing Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", which I really enjoyed. We also did The Picture of Dorian Grey, but I wasn't a fan of that at all.

I ready "The Picture of Dorian Gray" on my own and have to agree: I could see the points the book was trying to make, but the moral depravity of the protagonists made it impossible to care what happended to them.

-- 21 Jul 2013, 15:17 --

"Huckleberry Finn" was a good book; reading it as part of a high-school class helped me understand the points it raises about society at the time. I liked "The Mayor of Casterbridge", too. I think it helped that I had a 12th-grade teacher that everybody loved; she inspired us all. Other good school reads: Oliver Twist, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Frankenstein, The Mayor of Casterbridge. I read a few Hemingway novels but found the man himself more interesting than his books.

I actually read a lot of classics on my own during my school years and found that I enjoyed them more, knowing they weren't a forced read: 1984, Brave New World, Great Expectations, all the Sherlock Holmes short stories, All Creatures Great and Small (and the sequels), The Sea Wolf, Watership Down, Gulliver's Travels, and a bunch of others.

vinay_j11 · Post by **vinay_j11** » 21 Jul 2013, 15:12

JULIUS CAESAR - how can I forget the "ides of March" and "You too, Brutus?" Classic!

vovolicious · Post by **vovolicious** » 21 Jul 2013, 15:42

Hi, I'll second the "To Kill A Mockingbird" as a school must read. I had to read it in the summertime as a kid. And the characters were really well developed. Atticus was my favorite character from the book.

Twoey21 · Post by **Twoey21** » 22 Jul 2013, 05:01

I disliked "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck because it had a tragic part to it. I loved Edith Hamilton's "Mythology," however, because the stories were really interesting. I was so good at the subject that my teacher made me join a quiz bee about it. And guess what? I won the contest!

AlSedge · Post by **AlSedge** » 22 Jul 2013, 07:08

em, Julius Caesar and King Lear stick in my mind as we dissected them so many ways, and also saw so many acted versions (b/w films were the best!).
Loved poetry - esp Yeats, Elliot and Frost.

jool · Post by **jool** » 22 Jul 2013, 07:26

I come from Poland and our obligatory reading lists in schools are in general horrible. We are made to read those big classics, most of which are about different wars in which Poles took part and were remembered as great heroes (yeah, right

) Then there are those books written in old Polish language, which is extremely hard to read. It makes reading a nightmare. Maybe I am a horrible person not appreciating those works by greatly recognized authors (well, some of them were even awarded the Nobel Prize..), but it really is an excruciating experience trying to get through those books. Especially for young people. And especially when they are made to. But there is this tendency in Poland to keep the spirit of 'patriotism' (which is completely misunderstood now in my opinion) alive and to remember our painful past. I really hate it.

However, now my studies involve such wonderful subjects as history of British and French literature. Thanks to these subjects I got to know those wonderful classics, which are so different from the Polish literature focused on our country being a martyr during the wars. It is where I met "Wuthering Heights", "Hard Times" and the amazing romantic poetry (again, completely different from Polish romanticism with which Polish students are soooo fed up).

And next year, I'm starting a course in history of American literature.I can't wait!

sarahas8609 · Post by **sarahas8609** » 22 Jul 2013, 15:32

I loved Down a Dark Hall by Lois Duncan. Even though I read it over ten years ago, the story has stayed with me. I heard that they are possibly going to make a movie out of it soon. I hope that the film will be as great as the book was. Perfect for young readers!

kjo · Post by **kjo** » 22 Jul 2013, 15:47

Some of the books I read in school were mostly my pick or it was assigned. Some of the books that I enjoyed reading that was picked by teachers was Bud, Not Buddy, Beowulf, Where the Red Fern Grows, and I think there was a book with turkeys. I don't remember the turkey one. Some of the books I think would've been a good addition in schools would be books that make you think and also teaches you about the reworld. Like Learning Outside the Lines. I read this in college but I think this would've great for high school. It's about about how to get through school, and shows ideas on study skills. It's writen from the point of view from two guys who struggle with learning disabilities. Since I struggle with ADD i would've loved it.

valbeach · Post by **valbeach** » 24 Jul 2013, 10:52

There were quite a few. I remember A pattern of Islands and Return to the Islands, by Aurthur Grimble. These books gave fascinating insights into several of the Pacific Island groups in the 1950s and stimulated in me a life long desire to vistit. Unfortunately I have not yet made that or those trips but they are still on my bucket list.
I was also captivated by Harper lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Thomas Hardy's Far from the Maddening Crowd. The Grapes of Wrath and Thomas Dickens Great Expectations also made an indelible mark on me. As far as West Indian writes go, VS Naipaul's House for Mr Biswas fascinated me as did Green Days by the River.
There were a few I dislike too, like Lord of the Flies, but the ones I did not like were few and far between. I love reading and have recently downloaded a lot of the classics including Great Expectations on my kindle.

suzy1124 · Post by **suzy1124** » 24 Jul 2013, 16:03

In high school a required reading book was " The Return of the Native " by Thomas Hardy...a really difficult struggle way back then, just to get thru it...

If it weren't for " The Good Earth " by Pearl S. Buck, i'd perhaps have been turned off reading for the rest of my life...

mylilbookworm · Post by **mylilbookworm** » 25 Jul 2013, 01:27

Aside from Accounting Books, I always enjoy novels during my vacant time!

smileeypattyy · Post by **smileeypattyy** » 25 Jul 2013, 13:13

We studied a book called " The Giver "

Misaela · Post by **Misaela** » 25 Jul 2013, 20:32

At my school, we had those really big, compilation-style textbooks, and, after I read every story that was mandatory, I stumbled upon Flowers for Algernon. It was a shortened, lighter version of the original, but it was captivating. Years later, while at a Borders closing sale

I saw it, and bought it for about 2 dollars. It was then, and still is, a great book.