Booking Through Thursday...School Discoveries

We all had to read lots of different things in school—some of which we liked, some of which we didn’t. Are there any authors that you’ve grown to love because you were introduced to them in your English Lit class? Or—the contrary. Are there any you hate because you were forced to read them? Did you ever go back to try them again?

Awesome question.  In high school English, I discovered To Kill a Mockingbird and to this day, it's one of my favorite books as is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  I love Mark Twain.

In college, I majored in English and so I read many, many books.  I learned about Walt Whitman and I still absolutely adore strolling through Leaves of Grass.  It was as a freshman in college where I first read Pride and Prejudice and my love of literature was solidified.

Because of college also, I can't stand Henry James.  I had a professor who worshiped the man, literally, and it was such a turn-off.  I have not picked up a James novel since.

What about you?

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Comments

  1. I actually discovered more great books and authors through my son's high school reading list than my own.

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  2. I was a science teacher major in college, so not much reading done that wasn't a scientific type. Although I discovered Jurassic Park and Anne Rice books when I was in college. I also read To Kill a Mockingbird in high school and of course loved it! Great post and thanks for stopping by my post earlier.

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  3. I fell in love with Steinbeck in high school and have been reading him ever since.

    Too bad about Henry James though. I really like some of his earlier stuff and loved The Portrait of a Lady. Sounds like the professor may have been responsible for some of that :(

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  4. Interesting question! I have To Kill a Mockingbird on my shelves, but I've yet to read it.
    Two of the books I was assigned in High School were Animal Farm and The Catcher in the Rye, and I loved both of them.
    In college I read The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. My Mythology professor was obsessed with Joseph Campbell, he made it a large part of our course work, and I found the book insightful.

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  5. To Kill a Mockingbird is wonderful!

    Some teachers are really good at making students detest certain authors!

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  6. It's great how a lot of people found a favourite book or author through school or college. I can identify with your Henry James at college hating, although for me it was John Milton. I had a professor who adored Milton and she found it hard to accept anyone who didn't come close to her love of him. I wanted to and tried, but in the end I just couldn't. At least she gave me a half-decent mark, though!

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  7. I know that some of the other English classes read To Kill a Mockingbird and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I wasn't in those particular classes, so I read those two books on my own and really enjoyed them. I wonder if I would've enjoyed them as much if they'd been assigned reading...

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