Books You've Read For Class
By sparklespiff
@sparklespiff (11)
United States
February 5, 2007 8:39pm CST
I'm sure it's happened to you at some point. Assigned reading, and you sit there, forcing yourself through the pages, wondering when these words are going to have any meaning at all for you, wondering what your teacher/professor/instructor could possibly have been thinking in assigning it. Maybe you didn't even try and watched the movie instead, or grabbed the cliffs notes or something.
But then there are the other times. The time you're reading something and you just connect with the work, and it's amazing, so amazing that this book that somehow speaks to your soul happened to be something assigned.
What's a book you really disliked? Why? What's a book you loved? Why?
I'll go first: It's happened for me both ways. For the first, it's The Practice of Everyday Life by Michel de Certeau, which I happen to be reading right now, and hating every second of. Maybe I'm not reading it properly, but it feels like he's talking a whole lot and not saying very much at all.
On the other hand, with the absolute love for a work assigned in class? Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger. There's something about the characters, and the way most of it is discussion-- it was like thinking, only in reading a conversation, and his words. I am in love with J.D. Salinger's words, the way he says things.
How about you?
1 person likes this
3 responses
@czarina0527 (307)
• Philippines
6 Feb 07
i remember when i was in second year highschool.my english teacher asked her students to read a novel "les miselables" by victor hugo.after reading this novel we are forced to make a book report.instead of reading the novel we watched the musical play or the opera instead.it is more sensible for me to make a book report when you watched and then reading it afterwards.
1 person likes this
@sparklespiff (11)
• United States
6 Feb 07
Oh, I love "Les Miserables"-- at least the musical version! I've never read the book. I want to in the future, though. Did you end up reading it at all?
@DreamIsDestiny (204)
• United States
6 Feb 07
The Great Gatsby was my favorite book that I've ever had to read in school. I read it when I was a junior in highschool. :)
1 person likes this
@sparklespiff (11)
• United States
6 Feb 07
Oh, I remember reading that for high school too! I think I might have been a sophomore, though-- I don't know, it was a few years ago! I don't think I liked it that much; I think I had difficulty connecting to the time. What did you like most about it?
@Farside604 (870)
• Canada
5 Jul 08
I found The ctacher in the Rye much in the same way u found Franny and zoey. In highschool i was told to pick a book a was to report on; which was very odd since one is usually told what to report on. However I picked The catcher in the rye simly becuase i heard it mentioned by another teacher i immensely respected. I was then entranced by every word of the book and became an instnat fan of J.D Salinger. The catcher in the rye remains one of my favorite bokos of all time. Apart from this there are so many books that i had to read in class that ive fallen in love with. Some of these include 1984, The great Gatsby, Frankenstein, A farewell to arms, The lord ofthe flies, To kila mockingbird, the return of the native. There are a few more i am forgetting but as u can tell i was deeply submerged in the the classics which is why i still prefer them to this day.
