[intensebeet]

Judging from the other thread it seems like a lot of us read (and disliked) the same books in school. What were the best books you were forced to read?<br><br>
For me, I liked almost everything we read for AP English senior year. Invisible Man by Ellison is still one of my favorite books. Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor was hard to put down as was As I Lay Dying by Faulkner. Reading Brave New World for 9th grade summer reading was an eye-opening sort of moment that really made an impression on me at that time.

 

[Martin]

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Froth_on_the_daydream" target="_blank">Froth on the daydream</a> (L'Écume des jours) by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Vian" target="_blank">Boris Vian</a>.

 

[diablita]

I have so many favorites that I don't know where to start!

 

[merigayle]

I agree!!!!!

 

[diablita]

So my absolute favorite, that I still pull out and read sometimes, was Gogol's "The Overcoat". And maybe second was Borges' "El Aleph" in Spanish. So it's interesting that my favorites were written by masters of shorter stories.

 

[RandMart]

I actually <i>like</i> Moby Dick.

 

[mrscoby78]

1984<br><br>
Diabalita, I'm reading The Namesake right now. The Overcoat and Gogol are very heavily referenced.

 

[liath]

To Kill a Mockingbird.

 

[dcoroner77]

I loved The Crucible, absolutely anything by Edgar Allan Poe, The Scarlet Letter...<br><br>
All of them actually, with the exception of Lord of the Flies.

 

[cidersock]

My mom taught HS English, so by the time I got there I'd already read everything a few times over. I was big into jane austen & especially P&P back then.

 

[diablita]

I just googled that book (hadn't heard of it) and it looks so interesting! Once I get through the 5 parenting books that are waiting for me <img alt="uhoh2.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/uhoh2.gif">, I will put that on the top of the list.<br><br>
You'll fall in love with the scrivener in the Overcoat if you like to root for the underdog in a story.

 

[Hanging Jury]

Catcher in the Rye<br><br>
I "got" Holden Caulfield from page 1 ETA: In the same way I "got" Kevin Spacey's character in American Beauty.... Neither are really that much like me. Well, may be a little.<img alt="roll_eyes.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/roll_eyes.gif"><img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif">

 

[diablita]

Another favorite book from my childhood is Watership Down. I read it when I was younger, then went back and read it again several times in Junior High and High School. I loved finding new perspectives and nuances each time.<br><br>
Oh, and another favorite was Clockwork Orange!

 

[Hanging Jury]

I loved A Clockwork Orange too. I just bought the Blu-Ray version of the movie....<img alt="banana.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/banana.gif">

 

[caffeinated]

Me too.<br><br>
A also enjoyed "Atlas Shrugged." Actually I liked the premise and the story, not the actual reading of it. It was difficult to get through at times.

 

[kruss]

Wuthering Heights-Best love story of all time<img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif">

 

[mrscoby78]

I'm really enjoying it...I'm about 3/4 through. I'll definitely check out the overcoat.

 

[Gish]

Any book I was reading outside of those assigned, I have always read.<br><br><br>
Not to sound like brutal, but over the past 3 months I have averaged a book every week.<br><br>
That's why I'm up till 12:30 every damn night.

 

[Diane95]

A la recherche du temps perdu.

 

[Martin]

You read that in High School?