In high school, I'm pretty sure every person has felt that dread of having to read a book they really didn't care to read or didn't find enjoyable. As far as I know, 90% (if not more) of the books teachers make students read in high school are classics. Being that I graduated in 2012, I'm not unfamiliar with the irritation and slumpiness (for lack of a better word) that comes with required reading. However, in high school I didn't necessarily hate all the books we were made to read. In fact, I enjoyed quite a few of them.
If you've been with us for some of the earlier Thursday Thoughts topics, you might know that I haven't always been an avid reader. In early high school particularly, I found myself hating every book they threw out at us. However, something I realized in my senior year, is that I probably wouldn't hate these books if I were reading them on my own terms. There's something about being told "You have to read this" that just makes us not want to read it! It's almost the same mentality of telling a young child not to do something. That only makes them want to do it more!
In this post, I'm really only going to talk about high school because to be quite honest I don't think I've read a classic since I graduated. And, that's not because they don't interest me.. I just haven't. However, it's only been two years so cut me some slack. Now, in high school, I remember particularly loving to read plays. Some plays I remember reading and loving were The Death of a Salesman and The Importance of Being Ernest.
Another author I really, really loved reading works by was Edgar Allen Poe. If I could have dinner with two classical authors of my choosing, it would be those two by a landslide. Why am I pointing this out to you? Because I really think that's the secret! Let me explain; if you are someone who shies away from Classics all you really need to do is find the ones that cater to topics you enjoy reading about! That's really the secret. I think that's another reason why so many high school students dislike required reading. In high school, you're made to read a variety of books catering to many different topics. Fortunately, I learned something from going through that which I hope other people will realize as well!
To finish off this post, I'm going to highlight some classics that I loved reading in high school and some classics I really despise, but before we get to that, let me wrap things up real quick. The moral of my story is that, yes, I do enjoy reading classics. Have I always loved reading classics? No. Do I like reading every classic? Definitely not. But, that's like telling someone to try and read every YA book and enjoy it! I think what I'm trying to say is that "Classics" is not and should not be considered a genre of book as I think even I thought it to be when I was a bit younger. Classics can be all different genres and that's what makes everyone think differently about them! So, if you're someone who doesn't like classics, find one that suits your tastes and try it out. I don't think you'll regret it.
CLASSICS I LOVED IN HIGH SCHOOL:
CLASSICS I DIDN'T LOVE IN HIGH SCHOOL:
Thanks for stopping by for this week's Thursday Thoughts!
Great post! Most of the classics that I have read was back when I was in school, and that was mainly because I had to. But, I did enjoy quite a few of them - like Lord of the Flies and a ton of Shakespeare.
ReplyDeleteBut without school forcing me, I am now twenty-two and don't really read many of them. I have a few that I want to read, and I recently read The Great Gatsby as an adult and loved it. But, I don't read many classics, but I don't feel a pressure too either. I just don't have very many that really interest me. I read what I want to read when I want to read it now, I try not to feel pressure to read something that I don't really like the sound of, just because it is classed as a classic.
Great topic!
Classics were a pain for me in high school. I hated being told what to read. Since graduating, I've picked up several and enjoyed them much more on my own. I'm able to read what I want (which is a huge perk) and I'm able to take my time on them. Both of those really helped my enjoyment. Like you, I'm not going to read every single classic out there but they aren't as scary as I used to think.
ReplyDeleteYou got to read The Little Prince at school? That's pretty awesome. I think that was the first complete book I read in French, so it has a special place in my heart!
ReplyDeleteYep! We read it in my Junior year French Class. Obviously we struggled a bit, but I ultimately felt super accomplished and happy after we finished the book. It's one of my favorite stories.
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