Broadway Legend Joined: 1/11/06
I read Catcher in the Rye in my Writing Process class when I was a freshman in high school, and I was pretty much the only person in the class who didn't love it. I guess I found Holden a bit too much of a wiseass to sympathize with him.
I probably would have enjoyed Huck Finn if I had read it with a different teacher, and I enjoyed Ethan Frome and Song of Solomon. Other than that, I didn't really like much of what I read when we did American Lit in junior year.
I think I'll take the hint and stop blabbing on about literature now.
Everyone's avatars are really pretty right now, I don't see why you're so restless with them.
Tonight I think I'm rediscovering that I like a lot of music other than showtunes, which I'd sort of forgotten lately.
Edit: Ooh, I do really like Edith Wharton a lot, but I didn't read anything by her in that class. Oh, did anyone ever have to read The Awakening by Kate Chopin? I HATED that book, for some reason. (Apparently I lied about being done with this).
Updated On: 1/31/06 at 12:27 AM
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
I don't even remember what we read in American Lit. Bad Puritan poetry? The Crucible? Dry existentialist writing? I read The Catcher in the Rye that year, but that was for a project where you chose what you wanted to read.
Are you sure we didn't go to the same school? I also read The Catcher in the Rye last year, but for a project where we chose what we wanted to read. I wasn't a fan of The Crucible, although I did like Death of a Salesman.
Moby Dick was absolutely horrible, as was all the transcendentalist literature.
Speaking of existentialism, I think Sartre's No Exit is brilliant.
I wasn't trying to change the subject. I just mentioned pink because BBG is pink.
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/11/06
Did anyone read Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Stoppard?
Talk about brilliant...I loved it! Even if I'm not huge into existentialism...
Ooh, I kept meaning to read that after my Humanities professor mentioned it while we were reading Hamlet.
Ok, I'm off to sleep. Gnite!
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
BG, don't even bring up Huck Finn. I was trying to erase it from my memory! I know it's a "classic," but I think that's one of the worst books I've ever read (along with The Awakening and Sounder).
The Catcher in the Rye is so intriguing to me. We never really had any class discussion on it, but I still haven't determined if Holden was incredibly down-to-earth (albeit VERY cynical) and kind of a damaged soul or an arrogant jerk who thought he was better than everyone else. While I don't know if anyone can relate with Holden 100%, I think we can all see pieces of us in him.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead was really good. I feel compelled to read other things by Stoppard, but I have trouble reading plays (with a few exceptions).
I also hate Huck Finn... Lexi, I think we're the same person sometimes!
Updated On: 1/31/06 at 12:31 AM
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/22/06
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/11/06
*groans* You mentioned The Awakening. Yeah, it was worse than Huck Finn...and that's pretty bad. However, Things Fall Apart by Achebe (I believe) was equally as bad. Heart of Darkness and Poisonwood Bible were beyond amazing in the similar period/setting/etc.
There's a Stoppard play showing at the nearby theater. I feel like I should see it, but I think I'll wait until student night because I'm cheap like that
I was one of the weirdos in English class that liked- and understood- Shakespeare. I'm taking a class on his work now and my prof loves me because I know all the answers.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
BG, I don't know if that was directed toward my comment regarding No Exit, but if so, I'd highly recommend it. It's highly satirical and does a wonderful job explaning the essence of existentialism (although I'm not an true existentialist by any means). If you're super interested, I believe it's available online (do a Google search).
For as lazy as I am with regards to schoolwork, I'm really a huge literature nerd.
Updated On: 1/31/06 at 12:33 AM
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/22/06
I rarely find books that I don't like. I can always find something good about the book.
Night, Fantab.
Okay, I promise not to bring up the Twain novel that shall not be named ever again as long as nobody mentions Heart of Darkness. Deal?
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/11/06
Too late...oops?
I loved Heart of Darkness.
I really want to take a Shakespeare class. I'm one of those bizarre people who (at least, I'm pretty sure) would have been equally happy being an English or history major or going the opposite direction and doing biology. Which is nice sometimes, but the past few semesters I've been dying for something non-scientific.
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/22/06
Random, but has anyone ever read Girl Interrupted? I was wondering because yall were talkinga bout a Shakespeare class, which made me think of this Madness in Literature class that is tought at my school.
BG, I don't know if that was directed toward my comment regarding No Exit, but I'd highly recommend it. It's highly satirical and does a wonderful job explaning the essence of existentialism (although I'm not an true existentialist by any means). If you're super interested, I believe it's available online (do a Google search)
I was actually replying to Amber's comment about Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, but I'll have to look into No Exit as well. Sartre was the one who said "Hell is other people," right? I really love that quotation.
Amber, I really enjoyed Things Fall Apart, but I can see where some people might find it unappealing.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
I really want to take a Shakespeare class. I'm one of those bizarre people who (at least, I'm pretty sure) would have been equally happy being an English or history major or going the opposite direction and doing biology. Which is nice sometimes, but the past few semesters I've been dying for something non-scientific.
Although I'm obviously not in college quite yet, I find myself conflicted about that so often. Science has always come extremely easily to me and I enjoy it a lot. On the other hand, Engilsh and history have always come very easily to me as well and I think I enjoy them slightly more. I really have a huge appreciation for science, though.
However, I'm absolutely atrocious at math, so I'm afraid of any hard college math courses I'd have to take if I were to major in a science.
Well, Lexi, you'll have those required MAP courses in the areas that you like and are good at, so maybe that'll help you decide
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/11/06
I say take the class. A few semesters ago I took a Tolkien and CS Lewis class, because it was interesting and definitely something I hadn't really studied. One of the best decisions I ever made!
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