School Made Us Read It

List of the Month: August 2025 (see all)
Talk: August 2025 List of the Month: School Made Us Read It
Description: Some books we encounter first through the classroom—an experience that can shape how we read them, both at the time and going forward. This month's List of the Month is devoted to the books we were made to read in high school and college. Each member may add ten titles, and is encouraged to add explanatory notes. Did you love the book at the time? Did you hate it, and resent being made to read it? Did you change your mind about it, later in life? Given the personal nature of the topic, downvoting is not allowed.

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Rank Title Author Added

To Kill a Mockingbird

by Harper Lee

89,659 members

1,556 reviews

½ 4.4

55 Members: tardis, hipdeep, baaic, Cecilturtle, rmharris, BookDoc16, TeresaInTexas, lauralkeet, rarm, craso, yoyogod, AnnaClaire, Avron, SohoReader, crystal075, NorthernStar, cbl_tn, navelos, BonnieJune54, katemcangus, rretzler, eclbates, Midgit, Hartsellang, LibraryCin, fulner, Haggisman, awwolfe1, stephanieann1983, treegardner, SF_fan_mae, beehappy, BooksandMovies, msemmag, elorin, agalligan, EGBERTINA, KarlN, mirryi, annahuber13, MyFathersDragon, SealedArchive, beatlegrrl, Elizabeth.5s, cindra-cat, XRayBlaster006, Chapter_Weaver, domansell, ZephCraven, truecrimejunkie, lexi4books, Merryfox, 8751, Brown25, JChance
Explanations: tardis: I liked this one.
baaic: 10th Grade English. Fairly straightforward good read.
BookDoc16: Still probably the finest work I was required to read in school.
TeresaInTexas: Read in the 9th grade (before we read Gatsby). This one was easy to read and understand. I appreciated the growth of Scout throughout the book.
cbl_tn: Read it in 8th grade. Loved it.
BonnieJune54: I liked this one
rretzler: Read for HS English but had read several times previously
Hartsellang: High School, American Literature, during my rebellious period. Failed the exam for having failed to read the book. My mom was so upset. She arranged with the teacher for me to retake the exam. She forced me to read the book and do nothing else until I had read it.
fulner: By far the worst book I've read that is frequently on list of best books. I don't think it was soley because school made me read it that I hated it so much, but I'm sure it didn't help. The movie was only better because it wasn't as long as the book.
elorin: It was okay. I didn't enjoy it. I couldn't figure out what made it great in 9th grade and I haven't ever read it again.
KarlN: I remember liking this, as well as the film version. Also did a (joke) speech about why Bob Ewell was misunderstood
MyFathersDragon: I think that was 9th grade English
SealedArchive: Didn't grasp it when I first read it in 5th grade. Had a much better understanding rereading it in 9th grade.
cindra-cat: Learning that justice can and often is difficult but necessary. Remembering that this message stands the test of time.

Lord of the Flies

by William Golding

56,696 members

810 reviews

½ 3.7

49 Members: Aquila, wyvernfriend, tardis, lilithcat, clamairy, anglemark, Cecilturtle, rmharris, BookDoc16, TeresaInTexas, mlfhlibrarian, kaixo, Randy_Hierodule, Ennas, lauralkeet, rarm, BryanScattergood, Avron, SohoReader, NorthernStar, Cecrow, indregard, CarltonC, masterdeski, Pathug50, spyrunner2, kac522, WECrow, Maddz, al.vick, ahef1963, LibraryCin, JoMarsh, LLoLaguayasaminaj, awwolfe1, SF_fan_mae, msemmag, a_r_smiley, Kyler_Marie, Tosta, KarlN, mirryi, annahuber13, MyFathersDragon, RickyOnsman, milljd, domansell, catque2016, Hope_Hughes
Explanations: tardis: Hated it.
lilithcat: Awful, dreadful, I can't believe they made us read this peice of garbage.
anglemark: This one I really liked, but it was very unpleasant.
Cecilturtle: Loved it - I thought it was such a cool social experiment
BookDoc16: Read in 9th grade. Left its mark then, and every time I've reread it since.
TeresaInTexas: Read in the 8th grade—I remember lots of symbolism.
mlfhlibrarian: I was given this to read as an extra, and quite enjoyed it, but disliked the amount of analysis when we did it as a class text.
Ennas: Hated it intensely.
CarltonC: Given that I went to a boy's only boarding school, this seemed like realism. It was alright but didn't inspire me.
WECrow: As a bullied kid, I had nightmares my school bullies would "get ideas". Hated it
Maddz: I read this when I was at school, but can't remember if it was for school.
ahef1963: I absolutely hated this book. (Side note: this was the mid-seventies and our English teacher was named Charles Manson! No relation!)
JoMarsh: I especially disliked this novel but I don't remember why. I just know I will never reread it.
LLoLaguayasaminaj: I didn't like this at all and found it very cruel for a young reader.
awwolfe1: Hated this.
KarlN: A bit dark really, but overall interesting
MyFathersDragon: I heard it was required in one of the 9th grade English courses, so I decided I should read it too. I could understand why it was a classic, but I didn’t like it.

Romeo and Juliet

by William Shakespeare

32,744 members

311 reviews

½ 3.7

42 Members: wyvernfriend, Cecilturtle, rmharris, BookDoc16, gailo, craso, charl08, prosfilaes, missylc, AnnaClaire, raidergirl3, Avron, rgurskey, SohoReader, jeanned, lizzy50usa, NorthernStar, Cecrow, navelos, perennialreader, WECrow, tina1969, Maddz, Tess_W, Midgit, LibraryCin, awwolfe1, beehappy, BooksandMovies, a_r_smiley, Kyler_Marie, elorin, dtowell, maschi, mirryi, annahuber13, MyFathersDragon, hey_judy, cindra-cat, truecrimejunkie, Mood124, lexi4books
Explanations: BookDoc16: Read (and acted out!) in 8th grade. Lovely & lyrical & most tragic of all Shakespeare, except for "Othello."
navelos: 9th grade required reading. I think I enjoyed it.
Maddz: My 'O' Level set play. Boring, I would have preferred Julius Caesar which was the other option, but 95% of the class voted for Romeo & Juliet.
elorin: Another 9th grade title. It was a fun read, though tragic. I'm not wild about reading plays, though.
MyFathersDragon: I don’t remember whether we read all of it or an excerpt or what in 11th grade. I had already read Shakespeare for fun years before. We watched a film version of it, too.
cindra-cat: I remember we each had to learn sections and recite them. I don't remember mine, but am glad that we did read the play.
Mood124: Read yr9 english Honestly I thought it was stupid (and still do) so I couldn't get into the story... And that of all classes at the end of the year our teacher made us watch a YouTube video of a stage play and the rest of the year watched Gnomeo and Juliet :(

Macbeth

by William Shakespeare

30,123 members

264 reviews

38 Members: wyvernfriend, tardis, hipdeep, schteve, Cecilturtle, rmharris, BookDoc16, SESchend, mlfhlibrarian, dara85, lauralkeet, paradoxosalpha, knerd.knitter, prosfilaes, AnnaClaire, raidergirl3, rgurskey, SohoReader, jeanned, lizzy50usa, Cecrow, Maddz, rretzler, Tess_W, gypsysmom, Barbsn, gahoward67, treegardner, a_r_smiley, WendyRobyn, JessCad, annahuber13, Rome753, truecrimejunkie, Mood124, StErasmusLibrary, Brown25, catque2016
Explanations: tardis: I hate analyzing plays so much.
hipdeep: My favorite Shakespeare, I think. (Certainly my favorite non-comedy.)
BookDoc16: 10th grade English class. Also watched a film analysis of it by the late Clifton Fadiman. Not my favorite Shakespeare, but one of his best.
mlfhlibrarian: O level text. My favourite Shakespeare play.
paradoxosalpha: Read it in high school, played it in high school (as Macbeth).
knerd.knitter: I read this play in high school, and I was one of two students who chose to write a paper instead of acting out part of the play; I did enjoy reading this play.
Maddz: One of the Shakespeare's we read. I think we 'did' a couple of plays a year, until our 'O' level set text was decided, when we studied that in depth.
rretzler: My eighth grade English teacher was a family friend and neighbor and a wonderful teacher who introduced me to so much good literature (and had a hand in teaching me to read at age 3-4). Many of the books on this list are from her class
gypsysmom: Read in Grade 12 I think. One of the most atmospheric plays by Shakespeare. I can still remember the ingredients the witches add to the cauldron.
gahoward67: The day my High School British Literature teacher started our Macbeth unit, she had a red sweater and black skirt on. I will never forget (and use it today when wearing similar colors) her introduction: "This is my Macbeth outfit - red and black, blood and darkness."
Rome753: One of my favorite Shakespeare plays. I liked the different intrigues throughout the play, among other things.
Mood124: Yr10 english, liked the play but did terrible on the exam. It was due to this book I learnt Shakespeare is a genius deserving of being revered but omg is he banally torturous to study and analyse!
StErasmusLibrary: We read a lot of Shakespeare throughout high school, but I think Macbeth for my Shakespeare elective was the most fun, especially since we got to take a field trip for a performance.

The Scarlet Letter

by Nathaniel Hawthorne

41,635 members

417 reviews

½ 3.4

37 Members: gilroy, ablachly, rmharris, TeresaInTexas, SESchend, foggidawn, Stevil2001, AnnaClaire, SohoReader, Periodista, hohosmurf, jeanned, lizzy50usa, NorthernStar, jlshall, msouliere, kac522, 2wonderY, alco261, BonnieJune54, Tess_W, traceylkb, Midgit, al.vick, Haggisman, stephanieann1983, Kyler_Marie, dtowell, Tosta, auldhouse, mirryi, annahuber13, MyFathersDragon, SealedArchive, milljd, lexi4books, WillowFlower
Explanations: TeresaInTexas: Read in 10th grade….i thought all of the characters deserved what they got!
2wonderY: The real beauty of Hawthorne is how he uses language. We are generally not mature enough in our reading to appreciate that as adolescents. Instead, we are directed to the plot and character analysis. I found this lame and depressing in HS/college. I loved my re-read in my late adult years.
alco261: I hated this book (still do). I went to 3 high schools and this was the mandatory read in every one. Hester and Arthur struck me as the bad guys so I always chose to write in defense of Roger Chillingworth. The papers got me three grades of C and a note to my parents concerning my "poor" choice of characters.
BonnieJune54: The test had a true or false question. Hester is stabbed by her child. I didn’t know. I didn’t finish the book.
Tess_W: Hated it at the time. Now one of my top 5 books!
al.vick: Good, but hated the "analysis" we were forced to write.
auldhouse: I didn't understand this book at 18, but I totally got it when I had to reread it at 22.
MyFathersDragon: This was 9th or 10th grade. I liked the perspective it gave on the time period.
SealedArchive: This made for some unintended social commentary when we were reading it around the same time as a health module that heavily focused on abstinence and purity culture.
lexi4books: Hated this book , and I can say I had never hated a book before or after this , even though I stopped reading so much after high school but have still read ALOT of books , and I hated this book. Obviously the writing style is of the time , but I am a girl who loves Shakespeare, but I hate this book

Animal Farm

by George Orwell

69,750 members

1,002 reviews

33 Members: Aquila, wyvernfriend, tardis, karenb, rmharris, kaixo, BryanScattergood, missylc, AnnaClaire, raidergirl3, dhm, hohosmurf, haydninvienna, cbl_tn, masterdeski, kac522, WECrow, tina1969, LLoLaguayasaminaj, Haggisman, awwolfe1, stephanieann1983, beehappy, BooksandMovies, a_r_smiley, agalligan, ManWithAnAgenda, Morryman84, milljd, cindra-cat, Red-Hawk, Merryfox, Brown25
Explanations: tardis: Hated it, but it did give me a cultural reference.
cbl_tn: Read it in 8th grade. Loved it.
masterdeski: I hate allegory with fiery passion, this book is why
LLoLaguayasaminaj: The subject wasn't remotely interesting to me at the time.
ManWithAnAgenda: English, High School
cindra-cat: 'All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.'

The Great Gatsby

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

82,630 members

1,301 reviews

3.8

32 Members: wyvernfriend, schteve, rmharris, TeresaInTexas, gailo, SohoReader, crystal075, jeanned, cbl_tn, masterdeski, SylviaC, BonnieJune54, vwinsloe, fulner, Haggisman, stephanieann1983, BooksandMovies, msemmag, a_r_smiley, WendyRobyn, elorin, GrimFiend1977, Morryman84, Tosta, mirryi, annahuber13, MyFathersDragon, SealedArchive, milljd, Red-Hawk, lexi4books, WillowFlower
Explanations: TeresaInTexas: Read in the 9th grade…not a good choice for high school freshmen—we were not old enough or sophisticated enough to understand it.
gailo: Assigned this in college. I do not understand why it is so well loved. I dislike Fitzgerald and his worldview a lot.
cbl_tn: I didn't have to read this one in school, but my brother did. He didn't like it. I borrowed it from his bookshef, read it, and loved it.
masterdeski: so boring
SylviaC: I didn’t particularly enjoy it, but I got a lot of mileage out of it for writing essays.
BonnieJune54: Didn’t like it then or now.
vwinsloe: I loved the quintessential story of how the self-made man myth fails spectacularly in the end.
MyFathersDragon: In 11th grade, we each had to choose a book from a list of classics to read and write a report on each quarter. I chose several each quarter because 1) they were considered classics and 2) that would give me options for which book to write about.
SealedArchive: Depressing in the sheer emptiness of the lives of virtually every character, and how the wealthy ones got away with causing so much chaos and leaving so much wreckage for everyone else to deal with.
WillowFlower: A teacher once required students to read this work but I disliked the notion at the time. But over time, I grew and began to understand the point of view of the author's sage advise about the country's obsession with wealth and class.

Great Expectations

by Charles Dickens

43,868 members

479 reviews

3.9

25 Members: wyvernfriend, gilroy, gailo, Morphidae, DebiCates, charl08, missylc, rgurskey, Periodista, jeanned, jlshall, haydninvienna, Opinionated, merrystar, SylviaC, perennialreader, traceylkb, awwolfe1, treegardner, beehappy, WendyRobyn, AndrewWHeavens, SealedArchive, milljd, last-warrior
Explanations: gailo: I didn't mind this one, but have never had the urge to read any more Dickens.
DebiCates: First "literature" that I read and loved. Wish I could remember the 9th grade teacher's name. She was lovely.
haydninvienna: One Dickens I have no wish for further acquaintance with.
merrystar: The only Dickens I had to read for school and the only one I've read that I dislike.
SylviaC: It was assigned three different times, and I never did make it past the first few chapters.
perennialreader: Loved crusty old Miss Haversham.
SealedArchive: Probably would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't suffered through a semester of getting dragged through a heavily edited textbook version with no context for certain details.

The Catcher in the Rye

by J. D. Salinger

76,933 members

1,194 reviews

3.8

24 Members: rmharris, kaixo, lauralkeet, SohoReader, crystal075, NorthernStar, saskia17, Cecrow, SylviaC, dot.zen, MDGentleReader, traceylkb, JalenV, AbigailAdams26, SF_fan_mae, SandyAMcPherson, ManWithAnAgenda, GrimFiend1977, MyFathersDragon, SealedArchive, beatlegrrl, milljd, Red-Hawk, truecrimejunkie
Explanations: saskia17: I do not understand the fascination with this book at all. I strongly disliked it.
SylviaC: Hated this the most of all my assigned readings.
JalenV: I'm 70 years old and I had to read this in high school. I asked my dad what a "flit" was and he snapped back, "A fairy!". I was still puzzled, but I wasn't going to ask again. We had no online Urban Dictionary then to answer such questions.
AbigailAdams26: I'm not sure why I resisted reading this for so long, but I eventually picked it up when it was an assigned text for my masters, in a unit on young adult literature. I enjoyed it and am glad to have read it, but didn't love it.
SandyAMcPherson: I absolutely loathed this book. We had to read it in Grade 10 (Canada). I re-read it while taking a required Literature course at University, and still saw no merit in the novel.
ManWithAnAgenda: Freshman English, High School - Thought I didn't get it at the time. Years later realized how much it had sunk in.
MyFathersDragon: In 11th grade, we each had to choose a book from a list of classics to read and write a report on each quarter. I chose several each quarter because 1) they were considered classics and 2) that would give me options for which book to write about.
SealedArchive: Loathed absolutely every character in this book, which probably improved my teen attitude as I resolved to never be like any of them.

The Canterbury Tales

by Geoffrey Chaucer

24,989 members

185 reviews

½ 3.7

23 Members: ablachly, hipdeep, rmharris, TeresaInTexas, charl08, AnnaClaire, SohoReader, Periodista, dhm, jeanned, lizzy50usa, Capybara_99, jlshall, CarltonC, Pathug50, Hartsellang, beehappy, BooksandMovies, AndrewWHeavens, ManWithAnAgenda, annahuber13, MyFathersDragon, milljd
Explanations: ablachly: And we had to memorize the prologue in Middle English, which I can still dredge up from the depths of my memory
CarltonC: The Prologue in Middle English was one of our O level set texts. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed it.
Hartsellang: High school, English literature. Enjoyed reading the stores of ordinary people.
beehappy: This was my least favorite book in high school. Unfortunately, it was the first book we were assigned in college.
ManWithAnAgenda: Junior English, High School. Also had to memorize this prologue.
MyFathersDragon: This was in 11th grade.

The Odyssey

by Homer

62,197 members

521 reviews

22 Members: ablachly, schteve, TeresaInTexas, rarm, paradoxosalpha, Stevil2001, missylc, kleo, Periodista, dhm, jeanned, sallylou61, msouliere, sturlington, navelos, al.vick, AbigailAdams26, treegardner, a_r_smiley, cindra-cat, Red-Hawk, Merryfox
Explanations: TeresaInTexas: Read in the 8th grade—depends on the translation, but The Odyssey seemed to be easy to read.
paradoxosalpha: I enjoyed it in high school, and I understand why it is the more common assignment in schools today. But in grad school, I wished I had been assigned the Aeneid instead!
navelos: Middle school, I think. I don't recall if I liked it but it's another story that's useful to know.
al.vick: loved it! Especially Odysseus escaping Polyphemus
AbigailAdams26: I read the Fitzgerald translation of The Odyssey as a high school freshman, for one of my classes, and loved it. Later in life I discovered that I preferred other translators of ancient Greek literature, but I retain a fondness for the Fitzgerald translation.
cindra-cat: Opened the door for me for mythology.

Hamlet

by William Shakespeare

37,206 members

336 reviews

4.2

22 Members: wyvernfriend, Cecilturtle, rmharris, AnnaClaire, rgurskey, Periodista, sallylou61, msouliere, cbl_tn, BonnieJune54, vwinsloe, eclbates, gypsysmom, Midgit, LibraryCin, BooksandMovies, dtowell, slimikin, mirryi, annahuber13, RickyOnsman, truecrimejunkie
Explanations: msouliere: Our of the 10 on my list, this is the one I actually liked reading, both then and now. It was a great introduction to the ways and wiles of Shakespeare, and instilled a lifelong love of the bard.
cbl_tn: High school senior, advanced English. Loved it.
BonnieJune54: We performed a scene in class. The expunged version didn’t make sense so we put “to lie between a maid’s legs” back in.
gypsysmom: Probably Grade 11. Works much better as a live play than as a script.
slimikin: I already enjoyed Shakespeare, but the class devoted entirely to Hamlet taught me how much staging, acting, and what bits of the play you cut (or keep) can shape the story, and the Shakespeare, you experience.

Of Mice and Men

by John Steinbeck

44,495 members

723 reviews

3.9

20 Members: anglemark, lauralkeet, BryanScattergood, WECrow, al.vick, SF_fan_mae, BooksandMovies, msemmag, Kyler_Marie, agalligan, GrimFiend1977, mirryi, MyFathersDragon, Elizabeth.5s, milljd, Red-Hawk, Chapter_Weaver, truecrimejunkie, lexi4books, JChance
Explanations: anglemark: I loved this book.
al.vick: Glad I read this book. I have evolving views of the characters, though I have not actually re-read it.
MyFathersDragon: 11th grade. Very good.

Flowers for Algernon

by Daniel Keyes

18,570 members

438 reviews

4.1

19 Members: hipdeep, BookDoc16, SESchend, SohoReader, hohosmurf, GrrlLovesBooks, indregard, masterdeski, elenchus, merrystar, RBeffa, JoMarsh, fulner, stephanieann1983, msjudy, a_r_smiley, elorin, Tosta, mirryi
Explanations: BookDoc16: Read as a short story in 1966, then the expanded novel in 1972. Keyes was a true chronicler of human emotion & striving.
elenchus: Read the short story for class, as I recall, and I sought out the novel on my own. Slightly prefer the short but still pleased to have read both.
merrystar: Forced to watch the movie, read the novel, and then read the short story in three successive school years. Hated all of them.

Nineteen Eighty-Four

by George Orwell

93,932 members

1,447 reviews

4.2

19 Members: anglemark, BookDoc16, Stevil2001, missylc, AnnaClaire, hohosmurf, EMS_24, kac522, WECrow, noveltea, JoMarsh, awwolfe1, treegardner, a_r_smiley, dtowell, mirryi, milljd, cindra-cat, Mood124
Explanations: anglemark: I cannot really remember what I thought about it. Didn't hate it, though.
BookDoc16: Read in an 11th-grade read-and-analyze class. Chilling then, and even more so in the present day.
EMS_24: eyeopener to the way things can work out with power of governments.
noveltea: Assigned reading in the year 1984. Required reading in the year 2025.
cindra-cat: No comment needed, really, right? Sad that it feels like we are living some of this now, though.
Mood124: Read it as a yr12 advanced english Mod A text. Honestly it's great and I also read it before in yr9 for funsies but had a better comprehension and appreciation later, fun to study especially with modern politics.

A Tale of Two Cities

by Charles Dickens

41,881 members

492 reviews

3.9

19 Members: gilroy, aprille, Cecilturtle, BookDoc16, paradoxosalpha, charl08, missylc, rgurskey, jeanned, sallylou61, msouliere, Maddz, vwinsloe, traceylkb, awwolfe1, AndrewWHeavens, Morryman84, milljd, Merryfox
Explanations: aprille: 10th grade NY State
BookDoc16: My first Dickens, in 8th grade. Reread last year, and it still shows the height & depth of humans' treatment of their fellow humans.
paradoxosalpha: A high school assignment. Didn't make a Dickens fan out of me.
Maddz: I read this when I was at school, but it might not have been a set book. I still dislike sententious Victorian authors.
awwolfe1: I still remember Mme. Defarge and her knitting needles, but little else. Time to re-read.

A Separate Peace

by John Knowles

14,218 members

205 reviews

½ 3.6

16 Members: BookDoc16, lauralkeet, rarm, rgurskey, dhm, Capybara_99, WECrow, vwinsloe, stephanieann1983, SF_fan_mae, beehappy, WaterfallArts, EGBERTINA, beatlegrrl, cindra-cat, eleanorej
Explanations: BookDoc16: One of the finest coming-of-age novels ever written.
WaterfallArts: Memorable for my HS English teacher asking "What is the significance of jumping out of a tree?"
EGBERTINA: 9th grade- Didn't object too much until the ending.
cindra-cat: I don't remember much about this except having to read it. Boys at boarding school during the war. Just ok. Not the top of the school reading list for me.

The Crucible

by Arthur Miller

17,797 members

187 reviews

½ 3.7

16 Members: gailo, lauralkeet, Stevil2001, prosfilaes, kac522, perennialreader, WECrow, Tess_W, LibraryCin, a_r_smiley, WendyRobyn, annahuber13, SealedArchive, XRayBlaster006, Red-Hawk, Brown25
Explanations: gailo: 11th Grade American lit. I hated it, and still do. The opposite of subtle.
WECrow: Our history teacher required this one. We acted out parts of the play. It was facinating.
SealedArchive: We started the module around the time when xenophobia and "if you're not with us, you're against us" wasn't just tolerated but encouraged. I still wonder about how much freedom the teacher in question had and whether they were trying to slip in some commentary and caution without getting targeted.

The Old Man and the Sea

by Ernest Hemingway

35,226 members

561 reviews

3.8

14 Members: wyvernfriend, anglemark, gailo, sallylou61, msouliere, kac522, WECrow, BonnieJune54, rretzler, LibraryCin, Tosta, annahuber13, hey_judy, last-warrior
Explanations: anglemark: The beginning of a love affair with Hemingway that ended when my twenties ended.
gailo: We were assigned this in 8th grade. We were far too young to understand it. Mostly I remember the old man musing about DiMaggio. I did not know who DiMaggio was at that age. That teacher liked "macho" stuff like Hemingway and Jack London.
WECrow: The only required reading I couldn't finish. I used cliff notes for only one book in my entire life of schooling including college. This is the one.
rretzler: HS English
hey_judy: Hated every minute of it in high school but I appreciate it now.

Pride and Prejudice

by Jane Austen

93,517 members

1,508 reviews

½ 4.4

13 Members: wyvernfriend, AnnaClaire, hohosmurf, lizzy50usa, sallylou61, Watry, Maddz, al.vick, stephanieann1983, treegardner, KeithChaffee, Mood124, Brown25
Explanations: lizzy50usa: Read as part of English novel course in college. Loved it then and still do.
Maddz: My 'O' level set book. I still love it.
al.vick: The beginning of a life long love affair with this book.
KeithChaffee: High school, AP English. The only time I've come close to not finishing a book before it was due, beginning my weird history with Austen -- I'm entertained by the stories in movie form, but cannot wade through the books.
Mood124: Read it for yr11 english extension 1, I came late into the course so I didn't read it with the class and I think that saved my appreciation. We had to compare it in an essay to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies on the topic of literary appropriation, and look PP+Z was a wild funny ride but PP made me appreciate and love Austen :)

The Grapes of Wrath

by John Steinbeck

38,963 members

516 reviews

4.1

14 Members: sallylou61, WECrow, BonnieJune54, Midgit, Hartsellang, Barbsn, fulner, stephanieann1983, SF_fan_mae, BooksandMovies, Kyler_Marie, princesslimabean, eleanorej, lexi4books
Explanations: BonnieJune54: I liked it. Maybe school did help make me a liberal.
Hartsellang: High school, American literature. Fastest read I'd done in HS because I kept hoping for a happy ending

The Diary of a Young Girl

by Anne Frank

18,378 members

307 reviews

4.1

15 Members: anglemark, lauralkeet, hohosmurf, masterdeski, BonnieJune54, Tess_W, fulner, stephanieann1983, BooksandMovies, elorin, Mannivu, EGBERTINA, Tosta, KarlN, StErasmusLibrary
Explanations: anglemark: I found it fascinating, but I think it would make an even greater impression on me today.
Tess_W: We had the "sanitized" version--no talk of breasts!
EGBERTINA: 7th grade. Didn't enjoy. I have read more interesting holocaust diaries, since.
KarlN: Interesting, and of course, very sad.
StErasmusLibrary: We read a significantly abridged version, but it inspired me to read the definitive edition.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

by Mark Twain

49,243 members

595 reviews

3.9

14 Members: aprille, TeresaInTexas, gailo, prosfilaes, Periodista, hohosmurf, cbl_tn, Midgit, LibraryCin, msemmag, dtowell, Mannivu, Elizabeth.5s, cindra-cat
Explanations: aprille: 11 grade NY State
gailo: I was assigned this in both high school and college. I wouldn't say I enjoyed it, but I recognized it as good.
cbl_tn: Read it in high school and liked it. Loved it even more the second time around.
cindra-cat: Learning that even poor disadvantaged boys from the south could be smart and kind and clever. Full of tough topics, but important.

Death of a Salesman

by Arthur Miller

14,231 members

139 reviews

½ 3.6

14 Members: TeresaInTexas, dara85, lauralkeet, craso, charl08, SohoReader, Cecrow, SF_fan_mae, beehappy, elorin, EGBERTINA, Rome753, Red-Hawk, last-warrior
Explanations: dara85: I thought this book was depressing.
Rome753: I felt a great deal of sympathy for Willy Loman. Seemed to embody the frustrations of many, in trying to get ahead in life, but just can't manage to.

The Outsiders

by S. E. Hinton

25,765 members

738 reviews

13 Members: tardis, BookDoc16, SESchend, raidergirl3, hohosmurf, NorthernStar, Capybara_99, Talvitar, Midgit, LibraryCin, stephanieann1983, a_r_smiley, RickyOnsman
Explanations: tardis: Didn't like it but it wasn't the worst.
BookDoc16: Read in 7th grade, and it rang true to 13-year-old me, and still does, tho its setting is now long past.
SESchend: My 13 yr old daughter has recently become obsessed with SE Hinton's whole writing output, so I've been subject to watching the movie (which I'd never seen til this year) and rereading the book (for the 1st time since circa 1981 or 1982).
Talvitar: Loved this so much :)

Julius Caesar

by William Shakespeare

11,937 members

103 reviews

3.8

12 Members: pickupf, rgurskey, msouliere, haydninvienna, CarltonC, WECrow, BooksandMovies, ManWithAnAgenda, maschi, Morryman84, Merryfox, Brown25
Explanations: CarltonC: An O level set text, I studied it rather than enjoyed it.
WECrow: You need an enthusiastic, passionate teacher to teach Shakespeare. I had one that made Shakespeare fun.
ManWithAnAgenda: AP English, High School

Moby Dick

by Herman Melville

41,555 members

618 reviews

3.8

10 Members: lilithcat, paradoxosalpha, kleo, dhm, saskia17, sallylou61, masterdeski, JalenV, Midgit, ClydeWILibrary
Explanations: lilithcat: We didn't have a lot time left in the semester, so my idiot English teacher told us to skip the whaling chapters! Disliked the book. Years later, I read the whole thing and loved it.
paradoxosalpha: The cardinal example of a book I wouldn't have read on my own, but I loved it after being assigned to read it.
saskia17: Remains one of the few books I would have not finished if it weren't required. Not a favorite.
JalenV: Of the books others have added, this is one I read twice. The second time (in college) was only because I had been forced to read it once and remembered the discussions we had.
ClydeWILibrary: Did not like it in high school (or was it 8th grade?). Have never had any desire to try a re-read.

Beowulf

by Beowulf Poet

29,141 members

362 reviews

3.8

10 Members: jain, craso, lizzy50usa, jlshall, rretzler, eclbates, fulner, Elizabeth.5s, hey_judy, Brown25
Explanations: jain: Wish I could remember which translation we read; all I know is it was too early for the Seamus Heaney translation. I loved it anyway.
rretzler: 8th grade English
fulner: We did a school project where we made a video reenactment of one of the scenes using some pretty cool, for the 90s, stop motion effects built into my friends' camcorder. And a grainy effect for the credits that made our filming of like a long toilet paper roll of names and stuff actually look pretty legit. Great times.
Elizabeth.5s: Made me so angry
hey_judy: Never acquired any interest in Beowulf. Passed the tests but can’t tell you a thing about it.

Inferno

by Dante Alighieri

27,549 members

229 reviews

4.1

10 Members: lilithcat, hipdeep, missylc, msouliere, cbl_tn, sturlington, katemcangus, slimikin, StErasmusLibrary, Brown25
Explanations: lilithcat: We read the Dorothy L. Sayers translation, which, while perhaps not the best, has fantastic notes, very useful if you aren't familiar with the intimate details of Trecento Florentine politics. I've since read her translations of Purgatorio and Paradiso, but keep going back to the Inferno, in various translations and even attempting the original.
hipdeep: My buddies and I still talk about the "who would you put in hell and what is their punishment?" assignment we had on this one. And I remember our gentle, refined AP English teacher going to great lengths to get us to see the fart jokes without using that word.
msouliere: This was another good introduction to reading antiquated poetry and grasping that historic context creates a lot of cultural subtext in any work. Got to do a class project after reading which allowed me to do illustrations for the poem, which was illuminating for me on a number of levels. I read the paperback edition which had Barry Moser illustrations, which was inspiring.
cbl_tn: One of my favorites from advanced English my senior year of high school. We read the Ciardi translation. We had to do a group project at the end of the year. The whole class chose to work as a single group. We wrote a parody mash-up of everything we had read during the year and placed the characters in different circles of hell - Hamlet, Roskolnikov, Aristotle. Our teacher loved it.
slimikin: I mostly remember thinking: Wait, poetry can be this too? THIS? Why are we reading anything else? EVER??
StErasmusLibrary: Must be my love of world building, but I loved the Inferno so much that I went on to read Purgatorio and Paradiso on my own. I was on a faith journey at the time, and the imagery of the Purgatorio really resonated with me and contributed to my becoming Catholic.

Othello

by William Shakespeare

19,592 members

152 reviews

9 Members: BookDoc16, TeresaInTexas, Avron, eclbates, normandie_m, Barbsn, AndrewWHeavens, GrimFiend1977, peanutseagull
Explanations: BookDoc16: My all-time favorite Shakespeare play, ever since senior-year English class. Resounding language, despicable wickedness, and deep, meaningful tragedy.
TeresaInTexas: Read in AP English (12th grade). A more approachable work than Hamlet or Macbeth, which we read in 11th grade.
normandie_m: Studied in senior English.

Fahrenheit 451

by Ray Bradbury

63,118 members

1,140 reviews

9 Members: rarm, missylc, NorthernStar, dtowell, skid0612, mirryi, Elizabeth.5s, XRayBlaster006, ZephCraven

The Pearl

by John Steinbeck

15,170 members

238 reviews

½ 3.5

9 Members: msouliere, masterdeski, spyrunner2, kac522, 2wonderY, LibraryCin, msemmag, skid0612, hey_judy
Explanations: masterdeski: read this in middle school
spyrunner2: 40 years later I finished reading it. It was a lot more intimidating back then. Now, it's one of the shortest books I've read.
msemmag: Middle school- one of the most deeply boring books that I'd ever had to pretend to read

Heart of Darkness

by Joseph Conrad

26,264 members

432 reviews

½ 3.6

8 Members: crystal075, sturlington, navelos, traceylkb, JoMarsh, DAGray08, Tosta, slimikin
Explanations: JoMarsh: I hated this book. It seems everything I was given to read in class, I ended up hating. I read a lot but the books I enjoy were not assigned reading.
slimikin: I'm honestly not sure if this book is terrible or if I only think so because I was required to find, or invent, symbolism in every. single. word.

Bartleby, the Scrivener

by Herman Melville

3,424 members

122 reviews

3.9

8 Members: SESchend, jain, kac522, katemcangus, JalenV, AbigailAdams26, DAGray08, Red-Hawk
Explanations: AbigailAdams26: An assigned read from a college course I took on Herman Melville, this is now one of my favorite short stories. It makes me laugh and weep, at the same time.

The Red Pony

by John Steinbeck

6,252 members

105 reviews

½ 3.5

7 Members: tardis, Cecilturtle, kac522, Talvitar, dot.zen, BonnieJune54, SF_fan_mae
Explanations: tardis: hated it.
Talvitar: It was incredibly boring for a teen - I was probably 13 or something. Took me several decades to touch another Steinbeck (Tortilla flat, which I actually liked.)
BonnieJune54: Hated it. Just because a main character is a child does not make it a good book for children.

Brave New World

by Aldous Huxley

61,288 members

865 reviews

3.9

7 Members: baaic, kaixo, TseMoana, msemmag, dtowell, cindra-cat, domansell
Explanations: baaic: Read this for ninth-grade and it impressed me so much that I forgot everything about it. Rereading it now and it is pretty wild.
cindra-cat: So many aspects of this interested me. Mostly, how John just couldn't understand how strange the world had become while his group lived separately.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

by Mark Twain

38,271 members

369 reviews

3.9

8 Members: kleo, Periodista, hohosmurf, vwinsloe, Midgit, treegardner, dtowell, Elizabeth.5s

Antigone

by Sophocles

6,501 members

83 reviews

½ 3.7

7 Members: DebiCates, prosfilaes, pickupf, rgurskey, msouliere, navelos, ManWithAnAgenda
Explanations: DebiCates: Another great 9th grade read. I vowed then to name my daughter Antigone, if had one. I did. And I did.
pickupf: McGill University 1960's Greek Drama course
ManWithAnAgenda: Sophomore English, summer reading.

Charlotte's Web

by E. B. White

41,361 members

1,069 reviews

4.2

8 Members: schteve, sallylou61, spyrunner2, Midgit, Barbsn, JoMarsh, truecrimejunkie, Brown25
Explanations: schteve: Read in primary school obviously, 4th grade. The first novel I ever read and I read it multiple times that year.

Jane Eyre

by Charlotte Brontë

67,729 members

1,016 reviews

4.2

7 Members: foggidawn, Periodista, Maddz, al.vick, JoMarsh, ManWithAnAgenda, Brown25
Explanations: foggidawn: I was assigned this for an English Novel course in college, but had already read it for fun, so I skimmed. Some years later I read it again, and was surprised at what a quick and engaging read it is.
al.vick: I realized that books we were forced to read could actually have a good plot
ManWithAnAgenda: AP English, High School & Touchstones of Literature, College

The Aeneid (translations)

by Virgil

26,642 members

228 reviews

3.9

7 Members: schteve, BryanScattergood, sallylou61, CarltonC, merrystar, Maddz, DAGray08
Explanations: CarltonC: For Latin, not English, and I have only ever read a couple of the chapters, not being inspired to read more.
Maddz: This was for Latin, not English Literature.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

by William Shakespeare

22,281 members

205 reviews

6 Members: karenb, CarltonC, Barbsn, treegardner, maschi, Merryfox
Explanations: karenb: The first Shakespeare play I ever read, freshman year of high school.
CarltonC: My first Shakespeare, and I didn't really understand it at the time.

All Quiet on the Western Front

by Erich Maria Remarque

21,966 members

441 reviews

4.1

6 Members: anglemark, jain, crystal075, Cecrow, MDGentleReader, Tess_W
Explanations: anglemark: The first book that made me fully realise the horrors of war.
jain: Read for history class. This book was the beginning of my now decades long interest in WWI.

Our Town

by Thornton Wilder

5,875 members

80 reviews

½ 3.7

6 Members: Periodista, spyrunner2, beehappy, AndrewWHeavens, ManWithAnAgenda, EGBERTINA
Explanations: ManWithAnAgenda: Freshman English, High School + College Touchstones of Literature
EGBERTINA: 9th grade- Boring. Sill Boring in College

Beloved

by Toni Morrison

26,427 members

447 reviews

3.9

6 Members: baaic, phoebekw, elorin, GrimFiend1977, Tosta, beatlegrrl
Explanations: baaic: Hard read that taught me that opening your eyes to the reality of slavery meant you could never abstract away the injustice.
elorin: AP English. It was miserable. I didn't get it and I knew it and I resented it. I would reread it now to see if I feel the same.

No Exit

by Jean-Paul Sartre

1,288 members

23 reviews

6 Members: prosfilaes, missylc, sturlington, rretzler, gypsysmom, JoMarsh
Explanations: rretzler: Read Huis Clos my freshman year of college in the original French

Wuthering Heights

by Emily Brontë

61,834 members

810 reviews

3.9

6 Members: gilroy, Cecilturtle, mlfhlibrarian, Ennas, sallylou61, Pathug50
Explanations: mlfhlibrarian: My all time favourite
Ennas: This one I actually liked. Very rare!

King Lear

by William Shakespeare

17,258 members

170 reviews

4.1

6 Members: haydninvienna, Pathug50, spyrunner2, ahef1963, agalligan, GrimFiend1977
Explanations: haydninvienna: Wouldn't exactly say I enjoyed this, but it certainly left an impression.
ahef1963: My favourite Shakespeare play, read in grade 12.

The Iliad

by Homer

47,342 members

445 reviews

5 Members: lilithcat, cpg, sturlington, Hartsellang, Elizabeth.5s
Explanations: lilithcat: We read the Richmond Lattimore translation. I still have the copy I read in high school, and actually rebound it when it started to fall apart. I'm currently reading the Caroline Alexander translation in preparation for an Epic Week with Homer at the University of Chicago. I've seen Lisa Peterson and Denis O'Hare's "An Iliad" five times. Also read Alessandro Baricco's "An Iliad" and Christopher Logue's "War Music". Am I an "Iliad" geek? Guess so.
Hartsellang: High school, strangely in English literature. Struggled so much with keeping the characters straight that this was the first and only book that I ever bought the Cliff Notes for.

The Hobbit

by J. R. R. Tolkien

107,113 members

1,294 reviews

½ 4.3

5 Members: amanda4242, agalligan, dtowell, Elizabeth.5s, Mood124
Explanations: amanda4242: Required reading in seventh grade. One of the few required reads I actually liked.
Mood124: Yr7 archetypal heroes unit book. Ruined by the teacher and some... experiences (let's say) with watching all the movies and all the LOTTR movies with some family friends' commentaries age 13.

The Good Earth

by Pearl S. Buck

15,365 members

289 reviews

5 Members: tardis, NorthernStar, al.vick, msjudy, ZephCraven
Explanations: tardis: didn't like it.
al.vick: Very informative, never knew much about China before this read.

Oedipus Rex

by Sophocles

7,563 members

81 reviews

½ 3.7

6 Members: rgurskey, indregard, navelos, eclbates, SealedArchive, beatlegrrl
Explanations: navelos: I don't remember when I had to read this, but useful to know these stories as they are referenced over and over again.

Candide

by Voltaire

23,050 members

345 reviews

3.8

5 Members: Stevil2001, crystal075, msjudy, Tosta, last-warrior

A Passage to India

by E. M. Forster

13,912 members

167 reviews

3.8

5 Members: aprille, charl08, avatiakh, haydninvienna, navelos
Explanations: aprille: 9th grade NY State
haydninvienna: Absolutely hated this and never finished it.
navelos: Required college sophomore course. I don't remember the book at all anymore.

The Stranger

by Albert Camus

40,639 members

575 reviews

3.9

6 Members: mlfhlibrarian, lauralkeet, al.vick, treegardner, elorin, SealedArchive
Explanations: mlfhlibrarian: Read this for A level French. Found it fascinating.
al.vick: I hated this, and I would not re-read it.
elorin: I could tell that a lot of it went over my head as I read it. I would like to read it again and see if I still feel that way.
SealedArchive: Read it for both English and French. I remember being baffled at the protagonist's sheer indifference to everything and the teachers' insistence that this was some great philosophical development.

Tess of the D'Urbervilles

by Thomas Hardy

21,561 members

265 reviews

3.8

4 Members: katemcangus, gypsysmom, Rommert, LLoLaguayasaminaj
Explanations: gypsysmom: Probably read in Grade 11 and I loved it but when I reread it as an adult I realized the version we read was "sanitized" and that's why Angel's reaction never made sense to me.

Siddhartha

by Hermann Hesse

31,301 members

420 reviews

5 Members: rarm, masterdeski, vwinsloe, princesslimabean, last-warrior
Explanations: masterdeski: I don't remember anything about this book except figuring out how to pronounce the title

Crime and Punishment

by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

51,463 members

573 reviews

4.2

5 Members: tardis, NorthernStar, cbl_tn, vwinsloe, al.vick
Explanations: tardis: I actually liked this one, although I have never wanted to re-read it or read any other Russian literature.
cbl_tn: Read this my senior year of high school. It was one of our more difficult reads but worth the effort.
al.vick: Not a big fan, but an introduction to Russian literature. I remember that if I learned how to pronounce the Russian names it would be easier to remember the characters.

Watership Down

by Richard Adams

27,845 members

512 reviews

4.2

5 Members: Periodista, CarltonC, tina1969, LLoLaguayasaminaj, Haggisman
Explanations: CarltonC: How to kill any love of literature. I may be a dissenting voice, but definitely my least favourite set text.

Invisible Man

by Ralph Ellison

18,357 members

230 reviews

5 Members: gailo, navelos, eclbates, dtowell, Red-Hawk
Explanations: gailo: College freshman English. We were told a great deal about symbolism as we were reading it. I didn't like it at all.
navelos: College course. Did not enjoy this one at all.

The Mayor of Casterbridge

by Thomas Hardy

9,167 members

124 reviews

3.9

4 Members: TeresaInTexas, Pathug50, Morryman84, auldhouse
Explanations: TeresaInTexas: Read in AP English (12th grade). I really enjoyed all of the Hardy books I’ve read. It’s sad, yet hopeful.
auldhouse: I read this for an academic decathlon. I reread it every few years because no one sets up and destroys his characters as well as Thomas Hardy.

The Little Prince

by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

52,893 members

871 reviews

4.2

5 Members: jeanned, lizzy50usa, SylviaC, BonnieJune54, traceylkb

The Prince

by Niccolò Machiavelli

27,784 members

303 reviews

½ 3.7

5 Members: hipdeep, paradoxosalpha, treegardner, SF_fan_mae, last-warrior
Explanations: paradoxosalpha: The only enduring benefit of an Intro Poli Sci course in college.

Mythology

by Edith Hamilton

17,250 members

97 reviews

3.9

5 Members: karenb, Cecilturtle, masterdeski, kac522, perennialreader
Explanations: karenb: Taught in freshman year of high school so that we could understand mythological references in literary works from then on. Good to have read it.
masterdeski: hated the teacher who taught the class that required this book, have hated everything by hamilton ever since

The Chrysalids

by John Wyndham

5,340 members

142 reviews

3.9

4 Members: Cecrow, spyrunner2, ahef1963, oldtimers
Explanations: ahef1963: An absolutely crucial book that made me believe that there was a place for outcasts and misfits like me. I'm still reading Wyndham as well!
oldtimers: Eye-opening story for me. I had never heard of nuclear fall-out nor its potential consequences. Also introduced me to Wyndham's work. I still read his books 50 years later.

The Importance of Being Earnest

by Oscar Wilde

12,050 members

195 reviews

4.2

5 Members: hipdeep, navelos, LLoLaguayasaminaj, Red-Hawk, StErasmusLibrary
Explanations: navelos: Extracurricular course in high school where we read plays. Really enjoyed this one.
StErasmusLibrary: This book was absolutely hilarious to a class of 12th grade honors students

The Merchant of Venice

by William Shakespeare

13,144 members

125 reviews

3.8

5 Members: charl08, Cecrow, Pathug50, Maddz, Barbsn
Explanations: Maddz: I remember acting this in class, and one of my classmates enthusiastically 'sharpening' two rulers. Guess which character she was playing!

A Raisin in the Sun

by Lorraine Hansberry

6,394 members

87 reviews

3.8

5 Members: hipdeep, Tess_W, beehappy, ManWithAnAgenda, hey_judy
Explanations: ManWithAnAgenda: Junior Honors English, High School

Silas Marner

by George Eliot

12,899 members

170 reviews

3.8

4 Members: jain, prosfilaes, lizzy50usa, perennialreader
Explanations: jain: One of my favorite high school reads, and it was just as good when I reread it a few years ago.
perennialreader: Didn't care for it. Too depressing.

A Wrinkle in Time

by Madeleine L'Engle

45,378 members

1,038 reviews

4 Members: amanda4242, Tosta, Elizabeth.5s, princesslimabean
Explanations: amanda4242: Hated it when I was forced to read it in sixth grade and hated even more when I re-read it years later.

Emil and the Detectives

by Erich Kästner

2,033 members

43 reviews

4 Members: schteve, mlfhlibrarian, kleo, Pathug50
Explanations: schteve: I think I read this in fifth grade.
mlfhlibrarian: We read this in first year of secondary school, it was enjoyable because it was different to the books we usually read.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

by Tom Stoppard

8,806 members

103 reviews

4.2

4 Members: WendyRobyn, SealedArchive, RickyOnsman, Chapter_Weaver
Explanations: SealedArchive: Actually a fantastically funny read despite my English teachers' best efforts to turn it into a dry commentary on Hamlet being depressed.

The Return of the Native

by Thomas Hardy

8,728 members

101 reviews

3.9

3 Members: mlfhlibrarian, rgurskey, kevinashley
Explanations: mlfhlibrarian: A level set text. I really enjoyed it and have re-read it since.
kevinashley: The first Thomas Hardy novel I read. I didn't expect to enjoy it but I did, and through it discovered his poetry which I enjoyed even more. The edition we had contained both Hardy's original ending and the one his publishers urged on him when the novel was first serialised which made it all the more interesting.

Twelve Angry Men: A Play in Three Acts

by Reginald Rose

1,426 members

52 reviews

4.1

4 Members: rretzler, LibraryCin, Morryman84, XRayBlaster006
Explanations: rretzler: 8th grade English

The Lottery [short story]

by Shirley Jackson

1,422 members

54 reviews

4 Members: craso, lizzy50usa, msjudy, WaterfallArts
Explanations: lizzy50usa: A short story that we read in English class. Not a book but it made such a profound impression on me that I had to include it.
WaterfallArts: We read this aloud in English class in 1970 Massachusetts. All of the students gave the characters southern accents until the teacher pointed out that it takes place in New Hampshire. A bit of cultural prejudice on our part.

Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts

by Samuel Beckett

14,651 members

189 reviews

3.9

4 Members: gilroy, AnnaClaire, sturlington, EMS_24
Explanations: EMS_24: Four dimensional art

The Giver

by Lois Lowry

46,558 members

1,682 reviews

4.1

3 Members: Elizabeth.5s, XRayBlaster006, princesslimabean
Explanations: Elizabeth.5s: I felt things about society because of this book. Was good though.

The Lord of the Rings

by J. R. R. Tolkien

56,825 members

494 reviews

½ 4.5

3 Members: haydninvienna, sturlington, oldtimers
Explanations: haydninvienna: Not exactly "made us", but it was on the list and I read it. Never regretted it and still have the original set my parents gave me for Christmas in 1966.
oldtimers: My first introduction to the fantasy genre. Still love it today.

William Shakespeare: The Complete Works

by William Shakespeare

35,499 members

177 reviews

½ 4.6

3 Members: foggidawn, saskia17, sturlington
Explanations: foggidawn: Not all at once, of course, but by grad school (first attempt, studying Shakespeare) I had read most of it. There are still a couple of plays I haven't tackled.
saskia17: Some of the most fun I had in college. My friend and I wrote a reduced Shakespeare with no more than 5 sentences per act. It was fabulous. (I had read about half of the plays before that, but not all of them.)

Cue for Treason

by Geoffrey Trease

418 members

10 reviews

3.9

3 Members: pickupf, raidergirl3, SylviaC
Explanations: SylviaC: I enjoyed this one.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

by Robert Louis Stevenson

19,649 members

367 reviews

½ 3.7

3 Members: knerd.knitter, normandie_m, Mannivu
Explanations: knerd.knitter: This is one of many books I read in a college seminar on horror literature; that was my favorite class from college.

Dubliners

by James Joyce

22,047 members

261 reviews

3.9

3 Members: princessgarnet, msemmag, slimikin
Explanations: slimikin: I love "The Dead," but I also remember being struck by a perfect description of an Ireland sky while that exact same sky glowed above me.

Who Has Seen the Wind

by W.O. Mitchell

545 members

10 reviews

3.8

3 Members: pickupf, SylviaC, spyrunner2
Explanations: spyrunner2: I never did finish this one. Sorry, teacher.

As I Lay Dying

by William Faulkner

16,836 members

238 reviews

3.9

3 Members: knerd.knitter, katemcangus, elorin
Explanations: knerd.knitter: I read this book in a college English class, and it introduced me to William Faulkner's writing; I love it.
elorin: Wow did I hate this book.

The Cross and the Switchblade

by David Wilkerson

2,742 members

24 reviews

½ 3.7

3 Members: tardis, hohosmurf, spyrunner
Explanations: tardis: Socially concious books were "in" in the 1970s

Catch-22

by Joseph Heller

44,219 members

578 reviews

4.1

3 Members: schteve, SF_fan_mae, princesslimabean

The House of Seven Gables

by Nathaniel Hawthorne

9,615 members

117 reviews

½ 3.5

3 Members: jlshall, cbl_tn, rretzler
Explanations: cbl_tn: I was supposed to read it in sophomore English. I couldn't. It's the only book I ever substituted the Cliff notes for. I've tried again since. Still couldn't get past the first few pages.
rretzler: 8th grade English - I had read this previously (so I used the Cliff Notes to remind myself of the book instead of rereading it. 😂)

The Poisonwood Bible

by Barbara Kingsolver

28,600 members

539 reviews

4.2

3 Members: katemcangus, ManWithAnAgenda, SealedArchive
Explanations: ManWithAnAgenda: AP English

Their Eyes Were Watching God

by Zora Neale Hurston

22,209 members

384 reviews

2 Members: jain, saskia17
Explanations: jain: Tremendous book. I loved it in high school, and loved it even more when I reread it as an adult.
saskia17: Possibly my favorite author that I was introduced to through a class. This book is amazing.

The Sorrows of Young Werther

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

9,216 members

150 reviews

½ 3.6

3 Members: TseMoana, kleo, maschi

Sons and Lovers

by D. H. Lawrence

10,440 members

104 reviews

½ 3.6

3 Members: schteve, dhm, katemcangus

A Christmas Carol

by Charles Dickens

29,306 members

597 reviews

4.1

3 Members: Ennas, craso, Morryman84
Explanations: Ennas: This one was fun.

A Clockwork Orange

by Anthony Burgess

28,567 members

415 reviews

3 Members: knerd.knitter, msouliere, slimikin
Explanations: knerd.knitter: I read this book in a college seminar on idiolects, and I loved the puzzle of figuring out the meaning of the words used.
msouliere: Before sophomore year in high school we received an elective summer reading list which included this corker! I was a fairly naive reader at this point, so needless to say, between the vocabulary and ultraviolence, this book blew my mind.
slimikin: Like knerd.knitter, I loved the puzzle of the words, but when I eagerly shared this with my dad, he was horrified by the book's violence. He'd worked as a police officer for a decade, and what was cartoonish for me was very real for him.

Twelfth Night

by William Shakespeare

12,495 members

131 reviews

3 Members: Maddz, Barbsn, elorin
Explanations: Maddz: One of the Shakespeare's we read. I think we 'did' a couple of plays a year, until our 'O' level set text was decided, when we studied that in depth.

The Sound and the Fury

by William Faulkner

19,430 members

247 reviews

3 Members: BonnieJune54, traceylkb, al.vick
Explanations: BonnieJune54: It taught me that there are different ways to tell a story.
traceylkb: I have a favorable memory of reading this only because of a talented teacher with contagious enthusiasm for it. Have never been motivated to return to it though.
al.vick: I hated this book. I had to read the cliff notes to figure out what was going on.

Emma

by Jane Austen

43,904 members

567 reviews

4.1

2 Members: sturlington, KathrynEastman

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

by James Joyce

23,471 members

251 reviews

½ 3.7

2 Members: cbl_tn, wordbyword
Explanations: cbl_tn: Read in high school. Loved it.
wordbyword: I forced my way through this over a weekend so I wouldn’t fail the exam. Too young at 17 to really understand it or like it. I’d probably have a different take on it now.