It's unfortunate that so many people seem to have gotten turned off to classic literature by high school courses. It's a really bad environment to try and explore the themes of complex novels, I guess, particularly since teachers frequently want you to walk away with their interpretation.

I'd encourage any of you who last read a classic in high school to try it again, especially if you're in your mid-20s or later. Most of these books weren't aimed at teenagers. They were the expression's of an author's hopes, dreams, and fears, and most certainly weren't written solely to be a source for begrudgingly-produced essays. I've found a lot of satisfaction in revisiting them in my leisure time, especially with projects like Gutenburg and LibriVox.

(It's not to say that you can't appreciate classics as a teen, but it's hard to appreciate anything when you're literally forced to read it solely for a grade.)