Classic Literature You Hate

[Del Murder]

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.

Very true, especially that last bit. Also, for me, sometimes I don't want to explore the themes of everything I read. I just like to read stuff because it's entertaining, not because it's some metaphor for the author's social climate or whatever. In English class we analyzed stuff so deeply that it made me lose enjoyment for the words on the page. Good writing is good writing regardless of when it was written. Just let me enjoy the plot already!

[Dr Unne]

Yeah I didn't like Shakespeare at all in HS but now that I'm old enough to actually grasp all his filthy jokes and terrible puns and stuff, I recognize why he gets to be called The Bard.

But you can read filthier jokes and cornier puns in other books, without needing a thesaurus or study guide on every page. And the non-Shakespeare book might even have a story set in interesting places where interesting things happen. I see why people like Shakespeare, it's interesting and important history, but I think it's a dreadful experience to read.

[Scotty_ffgamer]

To be fair, Shakespeare's plays were never meant to be read either. They were meant to be watched.

I will say that, as someone who at least has a degree and certification in teaching English, I do think most teachers go about teaching literature wrongly most of the time (whether it be the fault of the teacher/school/district/standards/whatever). Having students read stuff that they have no interest in and that wasn't written with a teenage audience in mind, and then asking them to analyze every little bit about it isn't going to do much good in the end. I personally love analyzing literature and such, but I generally like doing it on my own terms with the things I enjoy. I feel like students would get a lot more out of those classes if they had a bit more freedom with what they read. Harry Potter, for instance, may not be the most complex series of books, but you can still use all of those analysis skills schools want kids to know in there than in books like The Great Gatsby. And it will probably resonate more with them than trying to figure out the only one absolute interpretation of what the green light means (or whatever is the big thing teachers like to bring up with The Great Gatsby.)

I didn't read much classic literature in high school, but the stuff I did read back then I find a lot more enjoyable now.

[Madame Adequate]

Yeah I didn't like Shakespeare at all in HS but now that I'm old enough to actually grasp all his filthy jokes and terrible puns and stuff, I recognize why he gets to be called The Bard.

But you can read filthier jokes and cornier puns in other books, without needing a thesaurus or study guide on every page. And the non-Shakespeare book might even have a story set in interesting places where interesting things happen. I see why people like Shakespeare, it's interesting and important history, but I think it's a dreadful experience to read.

But I don't need a thesaurus or study guide anymore, that's precisely why I can appreciate him more now.