What’s the worst book you had to read for school? Why didn’t you like reading it?
What’s the worst book you had to read for school? Why didn’t you like reading it?
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What’s the worst book you had to read for school? Why didn’t you like reading it?
The catcher in the rye is awful! I can’t understand how that’s even required reading ?♂️
I loved that book! I have my own copy! But to each their own!
I was going to say the same but we all have our personal preferences, likes and dislikes.
Same
@Jay I fully agree!
I read that book in 6th grade and got sent down to the principles office ?
The Pearl by Steinbeck. I don’t know why, I think I just don’t enjoy his style.
Hell, I really didn’t care for Steinbeck until I got into my 40s. ?
Also, any thing by Shakespeare. Not a fan of reading something I don’t understand.
Physics. lol
Animal Farm. What a depressing book to read before you understand the symbolism.
@Nicole I agree
@Nicole good read after symbolism. Read it in tenth grade
Whirligig
We had to read The Final Days by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. It was torture. In that same class we read Watership Down. I’ve wondered if I had read it on my own, if I would have liked it.
@Judy I adore Watership Down! I still think “Silflay hraka!” sometimes if someone’s bugging me. ??
@Elizabeth I’ve tried to talk myself into rereading it. You’d think after 40 years I’d be willing to give it another go. Hasn’t happened yet. ?
Crying of lot 49. Hated the class so probably clouded my thoughts
@Mari I had to read it in college. What a weird book.
@Timothy indeed
@Timothy same in my undergrad
The Old Man And The Sea. Too depressing.
@Sarah loved homer
@Mari ?
@Sarah symbolism
The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy. I read it in 8th grade and hated it.
@Jennifer not heard of this
@Mari trust me, you don’t want to. While I typically love British literature, Thomas Hardy is not my favorite author by any means.
@Jennifer I’ve read Hardy but missed the book. Hmmm I much prefer American lit.
I read it in 10th grade and hated it.
I like it but would have hated it as a kid.
@Chris Middle school was way too early for Hardy.
That seems really young for Hardy.
None really come to mind. The Oddesy was probably the hardest book to read but I enjoyed every frustrating moment lol.
@Mia i enjoyed my read through of this too
@Mari I remember a few “I’m done” moments then a.few minutes later picking it back up to see what happened ??
@Mia yes!!
The Scarlet Letter was one. It was boring and the way it was written was hard to understand
@Bianca ooh I loved that one. Sure it’s difficult but it had an interesting story to tell 🙂
@Bianca ugh, hated it. Leave it to Big Nate to make illicit sex tedious.
The Catcher in the Rye.
I always thought that was an over-rated novel. I didn’t hate it but I certainly didn’t (and still don’t) see what all the fuss is about.
@Rob Agreed!
… Come to think of it… I really didn’t have any books I didn’t like.
Any Sheakspear. I’m sorry people! It was torture and such a burden. Yea I say ugh
@Paula love Shakespeare so much to do the whole class on it for a whole semester
@Mari I’m with you.
@Rob As am I!
You all make me want to drop out!!!
Lord of the flies. Soo disgusting.
@Kathrin agreed
@Kathrin I feel the same.
I could not get through Dracula
Things fall apart by chinua Achebe. It was very difficult to read since no one knew exactly how to pronounce some of the African words and accents. I felt the story was boring and strange to read as part of sophomore curriculum.
@Tara I had to read this for my lit class in college. I don’t remember much about it because I had a crush on a girl at the time.
@Timothy I don’t remember much either but that’s because I felt it was boring.
Dracula, Turn of the Screw… Macbeth but probably more due to they made us watch a modern version of the play set on a horrid cliched council estate full of chavs.
I know I will be probably be in the minority, but I did not like SE Hinton’s The Outsiders.
Wuthering Heights. I love reading. Hated that book
I often wonder how English teachers can be so dense about what most students are ready for.
It’s very rarely the teachers choice. Most curricular decision are made at the district level or based on state standards.
A kindred spirit. I actually read in the summer. When school started, it was the first book assigned and I refused to reread it.
Rob Sapp They have a choice. [Your situation was the exception. I’m a retired teacher, too.]
No, they really don’t. I taught High School English and I was a VP of K12, Inc. that had schools in 36 states. All of our teachers were required to adhere to the curricula. In many instances, it was requisite for subsequent assignments that were required at the district level or for state assessments.
@Chris I even tried rereading it as an adult and it’s just not for me. I read all sorts of books by classic writers and that book just left a negative mark, for me.
Many “classics” are famous for reasons OTHER THAN being a pleasure to read.
@Chris if I offended you by my preference I apologize.
You bring up a good point. Just because something has been dubbed a “Classic” doesn’t mean it is a good fit for you. We all bring our own preferences and experiences to the table. I tend to like classic literature but there are many books shelved in this section that I dislike a great deal.
Betsy Henderson No, I agree with you. I wish boring classics came with a disclaimer: “Caution – this book is boring, but important anyway, so just freaking read it, okay? Gosh.” ?
I don’t think I ever did read any “required” books in class. We read excerpts of “Great Expectations” but if you don’t follow the plot it makes no sense.
The great Gatsby. I absolutely hated it.
No way a kid is going to appreciate that book if forced to read it.
Not me. I loved that book the first time I read it in 10th grade and I still believe it is one of the finest novels ever written in the English language.
anything mythology….I hated reading it; I hated teaching it. My students are so in love with Rick Riordan–and as a result, mythology– and I’m grateful to him for making such a tedious subjects more interesting, but I still despise mythology.
Poetry. All of it.
We had to read a poem of our choice in front of the class and I chose a really really long one just to irritate the teacher. My first filibuster…
Wuthering Heights. Not only was it depressing, I thoroughly disliked every character.
Don’t look behind you. It gave me nightmares and I begged my teacher if I could read or do something to make up for it but no
Jane Eyre, soppy rubbish that bored the tits off me ?
Not exactly a guy’s read. I can understand how you’d hate it. On the other hand, I loved it. JE is a strong female character with morals and values, and, ironically, the graphic of that book is one of the hottest books in my middle school library among the girls.
I didn’t care for it either.
As a former HS English teacher (IS there such a thing as ‘former’ English teacher?), I always did and still do question WHY in the world curriculum coordinators can’t/won’t/don’t select books that are gender neutral, so to speak–that both genders can enjoy. I always loved teaching The Scarlet Pimpernel–historical fiction, great male & female characters.
I remember studying it for my A levels and just hating it. On the plus side I also read Remains of the Day and it still is one of my favourite books
A tale of Two Cities…just no
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
I hated reading The Grapes of Wrath when I was a junior in high school. When I became an adult, I picked that book up again and thoroughly enjoyed it ?
My wife hated it in school and refuses to consider re-reading it now. I think that is probably the norm.
@Chris, I enjoyed watching it on film too. Actually I enjoyed that more than the book LOL
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. Important topic. Dry as sawdust writing.
Scarlet letter ???
The Great Gatsby….could not get into it at all.
Alive.. It was SO boring!
Silas Marner…too young and immature to get it.
I think it would be The adventures of Huckleberry Finn or Things Fall Apart
H F is an adult book disguised as a kid’s book. And most Edumacators fall for that.
I read it last year and I couldn’t get over the fact that there was so many N words. I was uncomfortable reading it.
@Matthew That is the way people talk back then. In order to stay with culture that’s what they did. Kind of silly that you feel uncomfortable with it considering they were speaking the language of the day and that’s how most American lit is written and lit that is written in a certain period
Why is it silly that I feel uncomfortable? I understand that’s they way it’s written but, I’m still a kid that understands America’s history and feels disgusted about certain history.
Red Badge of Courage
The things they carried…. uuuggghhhh
Shakespeare. Hated every minute of it and I had to read so much of it in high school. Whyyy
Clarissa. Could not slog through it, and had to admit that in my summary paper. It was so bad that the professor didn’t mark me down for having ground to a halt.
I have to say I just hated the slow assigned reading pace and having to analyze and pick apart every bit of a story. I hated group reading. I’d just read the story then sskim for chapter tests. Really took the fun out of reading!
Of Human Bondage in sophomore year of high school- even after 27 years of teaching English myself, I have no idea what my teacher was thinking!
Catch in the Rye. Just seemed like filth to me at that time.
The scarlett letter….ugh
Siddhartha Did NOT like it!
Donna Wilensky You read Siddhartha in school?! I’m surprised. You must be in a younger generation than my own. In any case, I loved the book, although for different reasons at different points in my life.
Funny, I don’t remember a book from school I had a hard time reading. Was a voracious reader back then. A lot of people struggled with “The Grapes of Wrath” and I loved it!!
The Odyssey and A Tale of Two Cities were tough for me.
Lord of the flies and the great gatsby….characters were not likeable and stupid plot lines
I hated Canterbury Tales. Sexist, boring and not funny even though was supposed to be humorous at times.
Lord of the flies
Red Badge of Courage. My sensibilities had no interest in stories of war!
I love all the different opinions!
Guns, germs, and steel. Hated that it was a massive book with so many chaptets forced on us each night, it took away my pleasure in reading for fun for almost a year after that class.
Great Expectations. Still hate Dickens.
Kim by rudyard Kipling – ugh
Canterbury Tales. I was too young to appreciate this epic
Ultrasound Physics… I don’t need to explain why it was the worst book ever
I’ll probably get some haters for this one but ? Walden by Henry David Thoreau. I just could not get through this book.
AGREED –
@Rhonda thank you! ?? glad I’m not alone
Catcher in the Rye – boring
Dick and Jane… I was embarrassed that I couldn’t read out loud as well as everyone else in class. (Damned dyslexia)
@Davida what a way to endanger a kid’s love of reading! Glad you’re a book nerd despite it.
@Amy yes… they called me a “lazy reader” when I was in first and second grade, because I read slowly. They “forced” me to read over the summer and well… although I never liked having to read aloud, I became addicted to reading – irrespective of my speed!
@Davida good for you!!!
@Amy mind you, the lazy bit did stick. I am a very lazy person when it comes to many things… particularly things like cleaning house.
farenheit 451 i started reading it got pissed threw it down and refused to finish it , LOL the teacher was exasperated , I know the story and i know the outcome but to this day I refuse to read it as it just pisses me off .
Sorry that you didn’t like it. The writing is marvelous.
well I know its a classic and over all I agree with the message I just cant afford the squirmy head feelign when they are burning the books , and the whole censorship thing .. the fact I react that way I think is a testament to the writing itself ..
Old Yeller. I loathe that book to this day.
@Juli I can’t recall ever reading the book, but the movie left me crying hysterically.
I didn’t like farenheit 451 either
Wuthering Heights.
Ugh…had to read a few chapters of it when we taking a vacation in California. Slowest.read.ever lol. I got sooo bored.
@Valerie I finally read this one this year. Terrible family events.
A Death in the Family
DUNE(summer of 7th grade); East Of Eden
(College).
Too many characters in DUNE( too many stories). East of Eden took me forever to read, comprehend.
@Erika I’m intimidated by East of Eden. It seems sooo long. Lol
1984
YUP
Had to read it for a unit in college. I was one of four people who read it, all the way through.
It was a book about a man and a donkey wandering around South America. I don’t remember the name but it was so dreadful only one person in the class read it. The rest of us staged a revolt about page 10 and thankfully the teacher agreed and we then chose our own book to review. ?
Lord of the Flies! I could not stand how he wrote, and I read it again not to long ago and boy was it a struggle to get through it, and my option hasn’t changed
Catcher In the Rye, I did not understand why this book was considered to be so worthy. My tenth grade teacher was crazy about this book.
Only we had to have special permission to read it, yup, we’re in Utah way back when. I read it and couldn’t tell you anything about it. I just knew it was BANNED so I HAD to get a copy.
@Jaynee my mom disliked it because of the profanity. I just remember disliking it.
@MMichelle Yes, if people would just relax a little, teenagers will think it all through and end up doing the best thing.
@Jaynee my mom disliked it because of the profanity. I just remember disliking it.
ohh sybil. that one. couldn’t get through the movie.
@Judy that was scary. I was a young girl. It was freaky. Sally Fields was awesome, do believable.
Bridge of San Luis Rey
I thought the whole story was pointless.
Spoiler Alert…
@Timothy I’ve seen the movie a few times. Robert DeNiro, Gabriel Byrne. Kathy Bates. It was to find out about the people and their lives that does on the bridge that day.
And then the monk gets burned at the stake in end of the book.
@Timothy I don’t remember that part in the movie. I’ll have to watch it again when i unpack my movies, thanks
@Paula I read it in 1991 in my Advanced Comp With Computer class.
@Timothy Nothing like an unwarned spoiler!
@Elizabeth oh shoot your right I’ll edit real fast. Sorry
@Paula My comment actually was for Timothy.
@Elizabeth I know but it’s true so i participated
Elizabeth Larson Sorry about that. Forgot to add the spoiler alert.
Shakespeare. Because Shakespeare.
@Tracy he’s tough to read! Definitely need a nerd to “translate” and explain the slang.
Whirligig. I went to a high school in a conservative, upper-middle class, predominantly white school (I am white and upper-middle class, but liberal). Whirligig is about a teenager who is driving his car recklessly (he might have been drunk, might have just been not paying attention, I can’t remember) and hits a girl and kills her. She loved whirligigs (those wooden statues like birds where their feathers are like propellers and twirl around), so his “punishment” is to go to the 4 corners of the U.S. and build one in each place in her memory.
I hated it because
1. The book was just bad overall
2. It basically taught a bunch of already privileged white kids that they are no real consequences for your actions, because even if you’re doing something dangerous that results in someone DYING, your punishment will be a road trip across the U.S.
Billy Budd, found it long, tedious and not as good as Moby Dick.
@Jennifer Agree!
For Whom The Bell Tolls. Did he really need that long of a book to blow up a bridge?
@Jennifer I do not have an issue with this book because it has a lot of metaphors in such
I liked everything I read for school, and I loved my English classes. I didn’t like our American history book, though, because there were so many glaring errors.
@Denise I think those errors are more ridiculous now! There appears to be significant events that are outright omitted now ?♂️
@Jay I know. Its a shame kids can’t read about what really happened in the past. I’m thinking about the way Native Americans have been depicted in history books.
War and peace!
@Aziza I’m afraid of this one! It’s so huge
The Red Badge of Courage. Thankfully it was short and the agony ended quickly.
Lord of the flies, too negative
@Mary I hated this one too
Loved this…….One of my favorite classics….lol….
Silas Marner. Depressing
Os Mais by Eça de Queirós. It’s by a Portuguese author, he is said to be one of our best realist writers. But I remember pushing through this one because there was a chapter of 30 pages just describing a room.
For the summer between 11th and 12th grades we could ONLY read War of the Worlds. It was boring AF ….. I had a bunch of other stuff I was reading that i liked better… so I watched the movie, made a 60 on the test and Passed the whole year with a 100.