To Kill A Mockingbird was indeed a hard read, but, for me personally, it was well worth it.Reuben 92 wrote: ↑26 Aug 2017, 13:17 Have you ever been forced to read a book for school and were left wondering 'why are they making us read this???' Or have you ever stumbled across a classic that has left you reeling with just how good it was?
Classics, of course, are always classics for a reason, and I don't intend to claim that any of the below books should be otherwise. They are all, in their ways, important books that have brought pleasure to many.
Below is my (highly personal!) list of top 5 most OVER- and UNDER- rated literary classics that I've read to date. These are ones that left me either disappointed and underwhelmed, or excited and overwhelmed...
Let me know if you agree or disagree!
OVERRATED:
1. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. I didn't find this funny, except at rare moments, and I thought it was rambling, over-long and poorly structured.
2. Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. I can see its appeal to teens, with its rebellious undercurrent and angst-ridden anti-hero, but even as a teen I was unimpressed by Holden's repetitive dislikes and vernacular phrases.
3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. One of the most important books of the 20th C, without a doubt, but I found it hard to get through. I just didn't find the style exciting and I'm not a fan of courtroom scenes...
4. Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Having read any number of essays about it, and picking it apart scene by scene, I still found very little to celebrate. It didn't engage my imagination or emotions.
5. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Another revered author who, I think, is set on too high a pedestal. Though I do enjoy much of Dickens' writing, this is one of my least favourite of his novels - far too sentimental for my taste!
UNDERRATED:
1. Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe. I enjoy Marlowe more than Shakespeare, heresy though that may be... A spine-tingling exploration of a classic legend, with enough ambiguity to keep you rereading for years.
2. The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope. My introduction to this author which sent me on a pilgrimage to read all 40+ of his novels. A gripping, complex plot; a warm, engaging style; a wealth of information on nineteenth-century life.
3. Perfume by Patrick Süskind. This book sucked me in so quickly and didn't let me go until the final page. Such a unique premise and such a unique treatment - a truly one-of-a-kind story.
4. The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy. A most beautiful, heart-wrenching exploration of nature and love. My personal favourite of Hardy's novels. Not for those who prefer a happy ending, but thankfully I don't...
5. A Little Life by Hanye Yanagihara. Can you qualify such a recent book as a classic? I suppose this is more like a prediction. It is rare for a contemporary book to effect me so deeply. A gut-wrenching, unputdownable story written in hypnotic prose. Again, not for the faint of heart but with a protagonist who will stay with you strongly for - well, at least a year!
As for Hamlet, I didn't really get much out of it, either. Although it might have to do with the fact that I'm not really into revenge or ghosts. The main reason I even read it was to compare it to The Lion King.
(My findings were that there were some basic similarities between the two plots, but not too many)
David Copperfield is the only novel from Charles Dickens thta I've read, and I really enjoyed it. We really do have different tastes, as deeply enjoyed the sentimentality. It didn't fail to evoke negative emotions, either, but most of that was at the beginning, in the scenes with the stepfather.