Books We Were Forced to Read in English Class

What are some of the books you had to read in English class? 

Better yet, what are some of the books you read that EVERYONE ELSE liked but you hated? I can think of a few, ranked from WORST to first:

• Speak (Awful!!)
• The Outsiders (Cringe)
• To Kill A Mockingbird (Outdated)
• Of Mice and Men (Boring)
• The Great Gatsby (Bloated)
• The Hunger Games (Okay but overrated)

The Hunger Games

Now don't get me wrong, this is an okay book, but incredibly overrated. Of course, this is to be expected. The Hunger Games, like Twilight, is a book that got teenagers interested in reading again. For many kids this was probably the first book they actually read and enjoyed in 5 years, 10 years, maybe ever. So it's natural that it blew up. That's not to say it's a bad book, it's just an average book that's praised as the best book ever by people who haven't read any other books. 

The Great Gatsby

I'm afraid of looking stupid for disliking this book. Because some of my classmates who never ever read also hated this book, simply because they hate reading or they hate the early 20th century writing style, I'm not sure. My disgust was much deeper than that. The very first line made me cringe and never want to open the book again:

"Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone...just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had"

EVERYBODY in my class thought this was the most brilliant quote ever. Give me a break. Even if this is where the maxim "put yourself in other people's shoes" originated (which it isn't) I still don't find it very interesting, much like the story of The Great Gatsby. Plus the characters are two-dimensional and the writing style feels convoluted even for the time period. 

I've softened up now and can appreciate the literary merit of the book, especially the symbolism, but it's not a book that I personally enjoy reading. My brain likes it, but my heart does not. 

Of Mice and Men

Dear English teachers all around the world: please don't teach this book to teenagers. They're too immature to handle it. Indeed, all I can remember now is "And George, I'll get to tame the rabbit--BLAM!!" shot in the head. Perhaps it's a testament to the immaturity of kids, or how boring dry and forgettable the rest of the book was.

To Kill A Mockingbird

Again, there is some literary merit here. But an old book about racism simply does not hold up today. During the Civil Rights movement when this book came out, I'm sure the messages in this book were powerful revelations. The book's popularity blew up instantly. But it's difficult for modern readers to appreciate because we already know it's wrong to judge a person by the color of their skin. There's nothing to be gained, it's just preaching to the choir. I do love a good courtroom scene though. 

The Outsiders

"Stay golden, Pony Boy"
Shut the fuck up. Just shut the fuck up please. 

Can't we read Frankenstein or something instead?

Speak

This is not a phenomenal book. This is not riveting and compassionately written, nor emotional and inspirational. Well, I take that back: it IS emotional...an emotional wreck. It's one of those books that weakly disses society for being so judgmental and gets a pass by everyone because it deals with the topic of suicide. You're better off reading some angsty teenage girl's diary. A truly awful book that I could not stand reading. Stay far, far away.