I finished To Kill a Mockingbird last night for the second time. The first time I read it was about ten or so years ago. My then English teacher, Mrs. Schneider, has us read it painfully slow; picking apart every chapter with worksheets and reflections and group discussions. Because of how long it took to read back then I was expecting the book to be at least 700 pages long. Imagine my surprise when I finished it in 3 afternoons? It kind of makes me want to go back and reread a few other books also dissected by Mrs. Schneider such as Raisin in the Sun, Silas Marner, Count of Monte Cristo, Rebecca, and Huckleberry Finn.
Anyway, one thing my memory did not fail on was how much I loved it (that and the ham costume, I’ll never forget the ham costume). I love Scout. She is one of my all time favorite characters. I’d forgotten what happened to Tom Robinson in the end and the part about Mrs. Dubose and Jem reading to her. Or about how Dill wanted to marry Scout when they grew up. I wonder if they did. I know they are just characters, but I kind of want to know where Jem, Scout, and Dill were 20 years later. I’ll bet they were Civil Rights Activists.
What other books did English teachers make us read? I know there are more. Wuthering Heights just came to me…
Anyway, one thing my memory did not fail on was how much I loved it (that and the ham costume, I’ll never forget the ham costume). I love Scout. She is one of my all time favorite characters. I’d forgotten what happened to Tom Robinson in the end and the part about Mrs. Dubose and Jem reading to her. Or about how Dill wanted to marry Scout when they grew up. I wonder if they did. I know they are just characters, but I kind of want to know where Jem, Scout, and Dill were 20 years later. I’ll bet they were Civil Rights Activists.
What other books did English teachers make us read? I know there are more. Wuthering Heights just came to me…
9 comments:
Just so you know, the Count of Monte Cristo really IS as LONG as you could possibly remember it being...maybe even longer? I also loved to Kill a Mockingbird. Maybe I'll actually come to book club having read both books?!
I remember reading Pride and Prejuidice, Fahrenheit 451 (HATED IT), Of Mice and Men, Wuthering Heights (which I hated then, I should maybe try that one again), The Awakening, Beloved, and a bunch of Shakespeare. I wish I could go back to school and just read books instead of working all day! ;)
Joy, reading in high school was cool(maybe even "plat") but the rest of high school was SO bronze. I'd rather just not work OR be in high school and read all day. I somehow never read of Mice and Men. I think I'll add that to my reading list.
And for Elise, I won't try Monte Cristo again. I'll just watch the movie, it followed it pretty well, didn't it? (HA! They never do.). I will, however, rent the Scarlet Pimpernel. Apparently my friend, Joy, who had THE SAME FRENCH TEACHER saw it in high school. I must have been sluffing that day. I hated French.
If you're taking a poll Rebecca, and Huck Finn are worth reading again (in my humble opinion). :) Books are better when you are allowed to enjoy them.
To Amy: AGREED! But even then, I still loved those books. I remember liking Rebecca. I think I'll add it to my list.
we read horrible books: fahrenheit 451, 1984, of mice and men, and i can't remember anything else. hated those two. i know we did book reports but i can't recall what i read. i know... too many books to really enjoy. i read to kill a mockingbird in 7th grade and have loved it ever since. best. book. ever! maybe that's why high school reading was such a bore...
Some books I remember reading in high school English: The Great Gatsby, The Grapes of Wrath, Lord of the Flies, Othello, Cry the Beloved Country (is that the exact title?), and I know there were a bunch more...I'll have to get back to you on them.
Oh, Shawnee, I LOVED Lord of the Flies. I remember that being one of the first books that really made me love imagery in writing. Grapes of Wrath was good, too. I'd forgotten about that one. I never read The Great Gatsby. I'll add it to the list.
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