Back in high school, I took an AP English course focused on classic literature. The thing is: the stuff bored me to tears. I swear to you, I didn’t read a single book the entire year. In fact, though I owned the Clif’s Notes for each book we read (hey, I had to pass the tests), in a few cases, I only read the “summary” page in the Clif’s Notes. I seriously wasn’t into The Canturbury Tales.
And, really, I’m still not. I mean, I love to read and though I don’t read much fiction, when I do it’s not like it’s simple, mindless stuff. I like early 20th century Japanese fiction and don’t mind being made to think when I read. I just never got into any of the classics of English literature.
But, I’m currently digging into Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, a book whose premise has intrigued me for a while. I figure I better read it now before it hits the screen yet again and it becomes trendy, Hollywood-ized, and completely played out.
What was the last classic novel you read? And when? And was it by your choice?
Posted in Everyday Life