What are stories, either on film or in print ,(but I was thinking mostly print), that you were forced, or coerced into reading/seeing, because it’s a classic!
You know, the one/ you were assigned in high school, or coerced into reading by their reputation. Thngs you decided were vastly overrated, or boring, or stupid. Possibly all three.
I have read very little Charles Dickens, because I was scarred by the awful, boring experience of Great Expectations. Dreary to the extreme, it turned me off from the rest of Dicken’s work.
The same thing goes for “The Pearl” by Steinbeck. Had to read it in school, and if I’d had my druthers I would have tossed it about a third of the way through. But it was by an important author we were told. Geez, the symbolism couldn’t have been more heavy handed. I kept wanting to say, “I get the point, now finish the story, will ya?”
For over rated movies I go with Bridge on the River Kwai. How such a historically inaccurate picture got to be so revered I don’t know. I saw a program on the History Channel and to a man all the veterans who’d been there hated the picture.
All of Dickens. My sophomore English teacher loooooved Dickens, and we read a LOT of Dickens. She read parts of it outloud in her sickly sweet voice, and to this day I cannot stand Dickens.
Most other assigned reading, I liked. It’s just Dickens that makes me want to puke.
I can understand not liking it, though I personally loved it. But worst film ever? Bar none? That’s a bold statement.
My mom tried to make me read War and Peace in 6th grade. After much begging and pleading, I got it cut down to the abridged version; at over 600 pages, it was still a bit dense for my young mind.
I had to read it for 9th or 10th grade English, and I thought the book was stunning in its suckitude. Sadly, after only a few pages into the book, I found myself happy that the bridge collapsed. And my feelings in that regard only got stronger the more I read.
Ethan Frome, Moby Dick, Emma, Pride and Prejudice. All for high school English class. Oh, and Billy Budd (in which the entire class found a gay subtext that the teacher denied was there).
On the other hand, I really enjoyed reading Charles Dickens. A Tale of Two Cities was really good. I’ve even read some of his novels as an adult, completely voluntarily.
I was trying to get into anime and one of my friends kept telling me, “You have to watch Ghost in the Shell, it’s really good.” So, I bought myself a copy and watched it. I have since become a big GitS fan, but I think that the first movie, while good, is boring and overrated (Although for some reason I was really impressed at the time). Actually, the second one suffers from the same problems as the first. I’d watch them again, but they’re not films that I recommend to anybody (the series, on the other hand, is pure gold IMHO).
Books: Lord of the Rings. I have an omnibus copy at home by my bed, with a paper bookmark a little over halfway through. It hasn’t been touched in over two years. Tolkein may have been a genius, but he bores me to tears. Must he describe every dew drop on every leaf in the whole forest before getting on with the plot?
There was a whole book on this, written by an english proffer, called “50 Works of English Literature We Could Do Without” BVasically, it stated that while some books might be enjoyable, not all the famous works are all that great. It stated the case in a well written, half-kidding way.
Books/stories I had to read for English (9th-11th grade)
Romeo and Juliet The Cask of Amontillado (I know that’s not the right word…but I don’t care enough to look up the right one) Of Mice and Men Watership Down Othello
OTOH, the only books I was bored by were: Anna Karenina by Tolstoy The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
I also watched 2000: A Space Odyssey just to see what the hubub was about, and ended up watching a good chunk of the movie on fast forward because many of the scenes were so dull.
I think I’m a geek, because other than the Dickens, I pretty much liked all of these required readings. hee hee. I was completely enchanted with Moby Dick, and other longer books that others complained about.
Oh, but I guess my personal least favorite is Emily Dickinson. I had a professor who just thought she was the be-all, end-all in poetry and I did not agree. I stay as far away from her stuff as possible.
I can’t believe I forgot that one! I suppose that I have forgotten that people actually seem to hold it up as an example of what they claim is moral behavior. (Yeah, so just about every man, woman, and child, pre-flood deserved to die. :rolleyes: )
…and guys, I’m sure it’s hard to restrain yourselves, but could you please cool it with the gratuitous potshots at Christianity in Cafe Society? Save it for the Pit or GD, please.