Classics you don't rate

What are some classic books that you've read and just didn't see the appeal of?

Lord of the Flies by William Golding. It was required reading in school for me, and that might be part of the reason I don't like it, but I really don't like it. It just seems like the message is so off and I feel like the amount of suspension of disbelief I need is too much for this book.

The Great Gatsby

It was required reading in high school, but I'm not sure that had much to do with it considering I enjoyed Lord of the Flies and 1984. Although, I did enjoy the latter way more than the former. Anyway, the book was just so boring to me. I read about four chapters into it, and I couldn't force myself to read any more. Apparently I had read more than over half of the class, and only one kid in the entire grade actually finished the book, so I wasn't the only one.

Nolafus said:

The Great Gatsby

It was required reading in high school, but I'm not sure that had much to do with it considering I enjoyed Lord of the Flies and 1984. Although, I did enjoy the latter way more than the former. Anyway, the book was just so boring to me. I read about four chapters into it, and I couldn't force myself to read any more. Apparently I had read more than over half of the class, and only one kid in the entire grade actually finished the book, so I wasn't the only one.

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I agree 100%. The Great Gatsby is just a boring story to me. Honestly, anything that I am forced to read, such as in school, I almost automatically put on my "I don't like this" list. But if I were to take the same book and want to read it on my own I'd usually like it just fine.

Fahrenheit 451. I had to read it as a summer reading assignment before taking one of my English classes, but I couldn't get through the writing for some reason despite a very interesting premise. I really don't remember anything that happened.

The Hobbit (I'm prepared to be shot). The actual story was amazing and the world building was awe inspiring, however Tolkien didn't have the talent as a writer to match his big imagination and it ruined the experience for me when I read it.

Also going to throw 1984 out here. The idea behind it and the story itself were very interesting, but the writing was monotonous and dull. Mind you, I did read the entire book the day before a test on it.

To this day I will never understand why Catcher In The Rye made someone want to shoot Lennon. Or why anyone thought it was controversial. Or why anyone thought it was worth reading.

I also couldn't make it through The Great Gatsby. It was required reading for me in high school, and I just couldn't make it through the book. It was too boring. I tried to read it again years later, when I was older and in a better frame of mind. But it was still too boring. I did force myself to finish it.

WHAT IS THIS. Are you all trying to break my heart??? The Great Gatsby, Catcher in the Rye, and Fahrenheit 451 are some of my favorite books. I've actually read almost all of Fitzgerald's books. I love how autobiographical they are about his and Zelda's relationship and you can really see what's going on in his head.

I guess mine would be Pride and Prejudice - I love the story behind it and the adaptions of the story I have seen, but for some reason it just doesn't click when I read it.

Brb, going to hug all my copies of The Great Gatsby ;______;

Kyoko said:

WHAT IS THIS. Are you all trying to break my heart??? The Great Gatsby, Catcher in the Rye, and Fahrenheit 451 are some of my favorite books. I've actually read almost all of Fitzgerald's books. I love how autobiographical they are about his and Zelda's relationship and you can really see what's going on in his head.

I guess mine would be Pride and Prejudice - I love the story behind it and the adaptions of the story I have seen, but for some reason it just doesn't click when I read it.

Brb, going to hug all my copies of The Great Gatsby ;______;

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this post straight up reflects my life. The Great Gatsby is brilliant -- I've read it at least thrice, two of those readings of my own accord, and I think it's as marvelously written as everyone says it is. I read Catcher in the Rye at the exact right time in my life that it's a punch to the solar plexus whenever I go back to it now. I don't really like Fahrenheit 451, tbh, but it's okay. and I could never crack into Pride and Prejudice either. that'd be mine.

CarcharOdin said:

To this day I will never understand why Catcher In The Rye made someone want to shoot Lennon. Or why anyone thought it was controversial. Or why anyone thought it was worth reading.

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Bingo.

Catcher In The Rye is just a coming-of-age book for angsty kids who relate to the brat in the center of the story for whatever reason.
Don't understand how it became what it is today.

Kyoko said:

WHAT IS THIS. Are you all trying to break my heart??? The Great Gatsby, Catcher in the Rye, and Fahrenheit 451 are some of my favorite books. I've actually read almost all of Fitzgerald's books. I love how autobiographical they are about his and Zelda's relationship and you can really see what's going on in his head.

I guess mine would be Pride and Prejudice - I love the story behind it and the adaptions of the story I have seen, but for some reason it just doesn't click when I read it.

Brb, going to hug all my copies of The Great Gatsby ;______;

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maccrash said:

this post straight up reflects my life. The Great Gatsby is brilliant -- I've read it at least thrice, two of those readings of my own accord, and I think it's as marvelously written as everyone says it is. I read Catcher in the Rye at the exact right time in my life that it's a punch to the solar plexus whenever I go back to it now. I don't really like Fahrenheit 451, tbh, but it's okay. and I could never crack into Pride and Prejudice either. that'd be mine.

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Haha yeah I completely feel you guys ;__; Definitely relate to you, maccrash - I read 'Catcher in the Rye' at the perfect time in my life as well so I really related to Holden and what he was going through. I think it would be hard to really connect with the book if you read it at the wrong age or just the wrong time in your life. I adore 'The Great Gatsby' as well - it's slow-paced but so exquisitely written.

gimmepie said:

Also going to throw 1984 out here. The idea behind it and the story itself were very interesting, but the writing was monotonous and dull. Mind you, I did read the entire book the day before a test on it.

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Isn't it fitting, though, that a book set in a society in which language is being dumbed down to the bare minimums is written in a really simple way? '1984' is probably one of my favourite books ever, I love how it's told and Orwell is just brilliant in my eyes regardless. I'm guessing your experience with the book was tainted by the fact that you had to read it in a day and then sit a test on it :(

Which brings up an interesting point - it seems most of the classics mentioned in this thread were required reading for school, so I'm guessing that has a big effect on people's experiences with these books. And tbh I do feel a lot of these books that have been mentioned can be appreciated so much more when you're out of high school.

I've never been a fan of 'The Scarlet Letter' by Hawthorne. It was also required reading (lol) as part of an American Classics subject I took last year. I just couldn't get into it to enjoy it as much, and because lit in uni is so fast-paced I just didn't have enough time to appreciate it - one week just isn't enough to spend on such a book imo.

Harley Quinn said:

Bingo.

Catcher In The Rye is just a coming-of-age book for angsty kids who relate to the brat in the center of the story for whatever reason.
Don't understand how it became what it is today.

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Oh, no, I just simply didn't find anything in the book that was offensive or gave me a pathological need to kill someone. I thought the book was going to be hard-f'ing-core. I was wholesomely disappointed. I can understand the kid harshly judging everyone. I get that. But his approach to it just sort of bothered me. Mainly because "phony" is such an outdated word.

Charlie Brown said:

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Don't get me wrong, I love Orwell and think the story and world he crafted are fantastic. With writing though, you've got to make it interesting through your words even if your setting is monotone. That's my issue with Orwell, he didn't draw me into his world at all. Although it's fair to say I poisoned myself to it somewhat to it by reading it literally all in the day before the test lol.

I had a similar issue with Tolkien though, he obvious had created this amazing and detailed world. However his writing bored me, he didn't draw me in. Although with him it was the opposite of Orwell, he was too long winded.

Jack Kerouac is another author I could never get into. Like, after twenty pages or so I just went "nope, not happening" and put the book down. Same with George R. R. Martin and William Gibson, although I did slog through one of Gibson's books, though I skipped chunks of it in the middle.

Everything Charles Dickens writes is overly verbose, pretentious, contrived and straight-up boring.

shit am i scrooge

Spherical Ice said:

Everything Charles Dickens writes is overly verbose, pretentious, contrived and straight-up boring.

**** am i scrooge

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I really enjoyed Great Expectations, although it initially took me FOREVER to get through. I think I've read it two times now. I don't think his work was meant to be pretentious, or at least I never took it that way. That being said, I haven't been able to get past the first chapter of A Tale of Two Cities . Which of his works did you read to dislike him so much? D:

Esper said:

Jack Kerouac is another author I could never get into. Like, after twenty pages or so I just went "nope, not happening" and put the book down. Same with George R. R. Martin and William Gibson, although I did slog through one of Gibson's books, though I skipped chunks of it in the middle.

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feel like On the Road is definitely one of those books you either love the idea of or can't get through more than a couple chapters. I'm firmly in the former camp. possibly mainly because I love the idea of going on a road trip like that, but there seems to be a line every few pages in that novel that just pierces my heart.

and re: Dickens, I like Tale of Two Cities enough but that's the only thing of his I've read. it's alright.

I don't know, perhaps I should re-read Catcher In The Rye.

I'm even more jaded now than I ever was at 16 when I read it, so maybe I can relate to it better. Who knows?

CarcharOdin said:

To this day I will never understand why Catcher In The Rye made someone want to shoot Lennon. Or why anyone thought it was controversial. Or why anyone thought it was worth reading.

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Thank you. This book did more harm then good Lennon got shot and it bored me to death.