TrixieB Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 Jr High & High School:  Lost Horizon Mysterious Island 1984 Animal Farm All Quiet on the Western Front (I still remember the bloody picture on the cover) Secret Sharer Tess of the D'Urbervilles Romeo & Juliet Julius Caesar Hamlet Macbeth A Midsummer Night's Dream The Scarlet Letter Lysistrata To Kill a Mockingbird The Chosen The Crucible The Mouse that Roared The Lord of the Flies The Picture of Dorian Gray  I'm pretty sure there was more, but that is all I can remember. It has been almost 30 years since I was assigned some of those titles! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 We didn't have to read that many, but each was analysed in a lot of detail.  Middle school Silas Marner, The Tempest, The Woodlanders.... there must have been others  High School Measure for Measure, Wuthering Heights, The Importance of Being Earnest, An Ideal Husband, Keats poems, Our Mutual Friend, Tennyson poems..  Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ester Maria Posted June 6, 2010 Share Posted June 6, 2010 We analyzed to death Dante and Manzoni - the former one we studied 3 years (each year one part of the Commedia + we also did Vita nuova and some Latin writings), and the latter one's "I promessi sposi" was a very emphasized work, along with memorizing a LOT of his poetry. Regarding the classical canon, "Aeneid", "Iliad" and "Odyssey" were each studied a few times. Â Ovid, "Metamorphoses" - also studied twice (in Italian and in Latin); classical Greek tragedy was studied quite a lot too (Prometheus Bound; Oedipus Rex, Antigone, Oedipus at Colonus; Euripides' Electra; Medea; Alcestis - those are the once I remember for sure); Roman comedy was a part of Latin lessons so I think we only did one Plautus in Italian as well. Â Boccaccio, "Decameron" Petrarca, "Canzoniere" Cervantes, "Don Quijote" Shakespeare, I've no idea what we read in Italian and what in English, but we certainly studied "Hamlet", "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "Macbeth" and "Othello"; Corneille, "Cid" Racine, "Fedra" and/or "Berenice" Moliere, again I'm not sure what was read in Italian and what in French, but we studied "Le Misanthrope", "L'Avare" and "Le Malade Imaginaire" at least Ariosto, "Orlando Furioso" Tasso, "Gerusalemme Liberata" Alfieri, "Saul", "Agamnemnone" Machiavelli, "The Prince" Montaigne's essays Goldoni, "La locandiera", maybe also "Gli innamorati"? Goethe, "Faust" and "The Sorrows of Young Werther" Schiller, "The Robbers" Byron, "Childe Harold" Balzac, "Le Pere Goriot", "Eugene Grandet" Hugo, "Les miserables", tons of poetry Flaubert, "Madame Bovary" Turgenev, "Fathers and Sons" Zola, "Germinal", "Therese Raquin" Stendhal, "The Red and the Black" Dickens, "A Tale of Two Cities", "Bleak House" or "Great Expectations" Dostoevsky, "Crime and Punishment", one more that we chose Tolstoy, "Anna Karenina" Chechov, "Three Sisters" Maupassant's short stories Ibsen, "Nora" Proust, "Combray" Verga, "I Malavoglia" Pirandello, "Il fu Mattia Pascal", "Uno, nessuno e centomila", "Sei personaggi in cerca d'autore" Kafka, "The Trial", "Metamorphosis" Sartre, "Nausea" Camus, "The Stranger", "The Plague", "Caligula" Ionesco, "La cantatrice chauve", "Les chaises" Beckett, "Waiting for Godot" Wilde, "The Picture of Dorian Gray", "The Importance of Being Earnest" Svevo, "Zeno's Conscience" Moravia, "Gli Indifferenti", "La Ciociara" Â I excluded some of the more obscure Italian names (obviously the list was more biased in that direction), I didn't list poetry, and I also didn't list specific readings we had in French/German/English classes (such as more Hugo, or Rousseau's "Les confessions", or Hemingway, etc.), nor the readings we did for philosophy classes. I'm also pretty sure I forgot something :p, but that's the basic scheme we did. Lots of classical stuff, and lots of French stuff. Or at least *I* had the impression of constantly reading French literature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edithcrawley Posted June 6, 2010 Share Posted June 6, 2010 I don't remember all of what we read, but here is some of it...mostly high school as middle school was a long time ago. Â Night by Elie Wiesel of Mice and Men-Steinbeck Othello-Shakespeare Much ado about Nothing-Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet-Shakespeare A Midsummer Night's Dream-Shakespeare Julius Caesar-Shakespeare Things fall apart-Achebe Brave New World-Huxley Heart of Darkness-Conrad All the king's men-Warren Parts of the Illiad-Homer Oedipus Rex Oediupus at Colonus Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Tristan and Isolde Parts of Canterbury tales-Wife of Bath and some others I don't remember Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted June 6, 2010 Share Posted June 6, 2010 I went to a totally pathetic private school. Literally, my list of "required reading" was:  Old and New Testament The Hiding Place The Diary of Anne Frank The Miracle Worker Uncle Tom's Cabin Pilgrim's Progress The Merchant's of Venice Robinson Crusoe  Yeah! That's it....sheesh...it's a good thing I was a voracious reader and our local library believed in the classics. I read all of Shakespeare's plays and most of the sonnets, Dante's Inferno, Illiad and Odyssey, Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales, A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol, The Federalist Papers, some selections of Edgar Allen Poe & Mark Twain, the librettos from several operas, The Scarlett Letter and The House of Seven Gables, and a huge number of biographies - mostly of scientists, plus a lot of poetry.  Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted June 6, 2010 Share Posted June 6, 2010 I know I can't remember them all but a few stick in my memory. Â Les Miserable in 8th grade. I was a big reader but I hated this one. Despite it being assigned and discussed in class, I never finished it. Â I had the distinct pleasure :ack2: of reading Lord of the Flies in three different schools in three consecutive years. Â My favorite English teacher had us read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Great Gatsby. Â I also remember reading The Old Man and the Sea, Hamlet, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, The Scarlet Letter, Oliver Twist (for my senior term paper), The Diary of Anne Frank, Cry My Beloved Country, and a whole lot of excepts in an anthology my senior year. Â There are so many classics that it seems everyone but me has read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted June 6, 2010 Share Posted June 6, 2010 I don't remember having any required reading other than To Kill a Mockingbird until I was in my senior year and took AP English Lit and Composition. Talk about a difficult 1st period class. From that I remember having to read Macbeth Hamlet A Winter's Tale The Great Gatsby Jude the Obscure The Awakening ? not sure that's the full title  We also had to read some part of The Canterbury Tales and other poetry that I don't remember.  I only liked The Great Gatsby when we had to do our mid year research papers on an author and one of their famous works, my teacher made it a lottery thing so that 40 of the 75 kids in the classes didn't try to pick Poe or Hemingway, we all had to stay after school and as we entered the classroom we drew a number then we started at picking author's according to our numbers. I drew something like 72 or 73. I ended up with Thomas Hardy and my teacher wouldn't let me use Jude the Obscure even though all others that drew authors we had already read something from were allowed to use what we'd read as a class. I ended up having to read Tess of the d'Urbervilles, which I hated because it was almost the same story line as Jude the Obscure. I did manage to get an A on my paper and oral presentation even though I never finished read the book. I've never read anything else by Thomas Hardy since.  I never had to read anything by Jane Austin, and after seeing the movie "Becoming Jane" I tried, oh how I tried to read Pride and Prejudice, but it just didn't happen. I just couldn't get into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyR Posted June 6, 2010 Share Posted June 6, 2010 I barely remember what I did in school. But what I do remember reading is  Catcher in the Rye Brave New World Great Gatsby Robert Frost poems Lord of the Flies I'm sure some short stories from a reader and that's about all I remember. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyR Posted June 6, 2010 Share Posted June 6, 2010 (edited) I barely remember what I did in school. But what I do remember reading is  Catcher in the Rye Brave New World Great Gatsby Robert Frost poems Lord of the Flies Uncle Tom's Cabin( liked this story very much) I'm sure some short stories from a reader and that's about all I remember. This is a great list though. Will give me something to read now :>)  For my oldest daughter this year I've had her read: Shiloh Tom Sawyer Mid Summer Night's Dream Singing Down the Moon Sign of the Beaver 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Sherlock Holmes Dracula Where the Red Fern Grows Island of the Blue Dolphins Treasure Island and some short stories from a reader I have here at home... Edited June 6, 2010 by TracyR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted June 6, 2010 Share Posted June 6, 2010 Sorry if this is a repeat, I haven't read all the replies. Is the story you were thinking of The Island of Dr. Moreau? http://www.gradesaver.com/the-island-of-dr-moreau/study-guide/short-summary/ Â I can't believe I was required to read Deliverance in 11th grade...we even watched the movie :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cyrus Long Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 WeĂ¢â‚¬â„¢ve all experienced this one time or another. When weĂ¢â‚¬â„¢re forced to read a book or a play, we lose interest in it. ThatĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s what happened with me. I had to read 'Romeo and Juliet' in high school. I didnĂ¢â‚¬â„¢t enjoy it much then. Recently I re-read this classic and loved it! Shmoop gave me a fresh take on this book and thereĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s some interesting trivia there, too. Like in ShakespeareĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s times the permissible age for girls to marry was twelve, and for boys, fourteen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Let's see, I'm not sure I remember much. Â Romeo and Juliet Macbeth 1984 Flowers for Algernon The Little Prince (in French) Â Now, I elected to read a lot more, but the only ones that stand out are Go Ask Alice and Gone With the Wind. I'm quite sure I read a lot of twaddle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyThreeSons Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Death of a Salesman Our Town The Crucible Huckleberry Finn The Caine Mutiny  That's it for high school. I only took one year of traditional English class (sophomore year), and it was more focused on composition than literature. My freshman year I took an experimental class that allowed for independent study -- I designed a house. Junior and senior years I took Journalism. I never had to read even a single novel in all of college; nothing like lit required for my engineering major.  I have been exposed to more literature as a homeschooling mom than I ever was as a student. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 It was so long ago, I barely remember, but here goes:  The Old Man and the Sea The Scarlet Letter Julius Caeser (Did not get it at all, having no history background) MacBeth To Kill a Mockingbird Our Town The House of Seven Gables The Great Gatsby Beowulf The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Le Mort d'Artu  That's all that stands out in my mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 (edited) I don't remember many books that we had to read. Here's my short list:  Animal Farm The Scarlet Letter Macbeth (my class never finished this one, though we did watch the movie :glare:) Romeo and Juliet (we finished this one and watched the film version w/ Claire Danes and Leo Dicaprio) The Red Badge of Courage  We read excerpts of several things such as Beowulf and Hamlet.  ETA: I also recall reading A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations. One was assigned and the other I read for fun, but I can't recall which was which. Edited July 27, 2010 by Pretty in Pink Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMary2 Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Middle school - I remember:  The Outsiders Lord of the Flies Shane The Pearl  High School:  East of Eden Mutiny on the Bounty Grapes of Wrath Catcher in the Rye Romeo and Juliet West Side Story Macbeth The Caine Mutiny Scarlet Letter Frankenstein Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 I was in a pretty academically rigorous high school program. I can't imagine listing all the books, plays and short story collections I had to read here. I think I had to read at least 100 books in the course of 9-12th grades and probably more like 200, honestly, as I took English elective courses like Southern Literature and Psychology and Literature plus I had to read a handful of novels and novellas in French for French literature. Most books I liked or am at least glad I read, some I didn't like, a few I loved and a few I loathed (Heart of Darkness, I'm looking at you!). I remember nearly all of them, I think, though I'm sure I'm fuzzy on the plot points. Actually, I still own many of the editions I had to read in high school. I have trouble letting go of books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 I remember quite a few books from middle school and high school (though by all means not ALL!) One thing I remember distinctly, in HS, is some of those books (Charles Dickens Tale of Two Cities, for one) are things I would NEVER have gotten through on my own but by the end, they were infinitely worth reading and I was glad I had done so. (All the Willa Cather, though, was pretty worthless) Â After I got out of HS, I have several times wished I could get back into that environment again somehow. To read the classics in an environment where I'd actually understand and thus enjoy them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 (edited) And I graduated high school in 1978! HA! Â I posted previously in this thread, but I'm posting again because I've remembered more, but I can't edit my original post. ;) Â Middle School: Animal Farm and Lord of the Flies were required. We also read short stories, including The Ransom of Red Chief, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Most Dangerous Game, Rip Van Winkle, The Gift of the Magi, and more. On my own, I read The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia and more. Â High School: Westside Story Canterbury Tales Beowulf The Pearl The Light in the Forest Hucklberry Finn Silar Marner The Good Earth The Crucible Twelve Angry Men Brave New World Tobacco Road Flowers for Algernon Lots of Shakespeare tragedies: Julius Caesar Romeo and Juliet Hamlet King Lear MacBeth Othello We also read an anthology of short stories, including The Lottery, The Masque of the Red Death (and other stories by Poe), The Rocking Horse Winner, Lamb to the Slaughter, excerpts from Walden and more. Â Of all the things we read, the only thing I didn't like was The Good Earth. I have no idea why, but I hated that book. It was so boring! Edited July 27, 2010 by ereks mom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah C. Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 I graduated public HS in 2007 so this is a very recent list..  9th grade - I was homeschooled, but still read Great Expectations. My friends who went to my ps for 9th had to read GE and Tale of Two Cities. I've never understood *why* because I've yet to meet anyone who appreciated them in 9th grade. :(  10th grade: My Name is Asher Lev, by Chaim Potok. I loved this book, but had many friends who thought it was boring. Yellow Raft in Blue Water Lord of the Flies - and Animal Farm (hated both) To Kill a Mockingbird (which I also read for a history class in college) Plus one or two others  11th grade: Their Eyes Were Watching God - I distinctly remember a fellow student (who happened to be from Bangladesh) having a lot of trouble with the conversations in this book! Scarlet Letter (we didn't have to read the prologue, hallelujah) and others... I TA'd for my 11th grade teacher the next year, and that class had to read The Things They Carried, Native Son, and In Cold Blood. I had a friend who downright refused to read Native Son.  12th grade: We read at least 16 books over the year. This class was harder than my freshman English classes at UD! In no particular order: Moll Flanders Crime and Punishment House of Spirits Jane Eyre Wide Sargasso Sea - I strongly disliked this book. It's the story of the crazy wife in Jane Eyre. Cold Mountain The Iliad Catch-22 King Lear Pride and Prejudice Our Mutual Friend - the Dickens book which is super-long and has NO sparknotes..to the chagrin of many of my classmates. Mrs. Dalloway Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - a VERY confusing book Life of Pi - which was weird and somewhat disturbing And one or two others.  We also had to do a senior research paper on a book. I did mine on Mansfield Park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 I graduated public HS in 2007 so this is a very recent list.. 9th grade - I was homeschooled, but still read Great Expectations. My friends who went to my ps for 9th had to read GE and Tale of Two Cities. I've never understood *why* because I've yet to meet anyone who appreciated them in 9th grade. :(  As I posted above, I appreciated Tale of Two Cities in high school (although I don't exactly remember what year it was. I know it was not 12th. 10th or 11th I expect) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhM Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 I can't remember much of what we had to read, and I may be getting mixed up, because I read a bunch of classics just for fun, but here goes: Â The Black Pearl Cry the Beloved Country Heart of Darkness Hamlet King Lear excerpts from Romeo & Juliet Grapes of Wrath Of Mice and Men (yeah, someone liked Steinbeck) A Tale of Two Cities (and I didn't appreciate it at the time, but loved it when I re-read it years later) Crime and Punishment For Whom the Bell Tolls excerpts from The Divine Comedy - the Inferno excerpts from Blake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 (edited) The story you are thinking of is a short story that I think is called The Most Dangerous Game. But it has been awhile since I was a Freshman in high school so I may be wrong. Â Â ETA: I see I was a little late with this one. Edited July 27, 2010 by Meriwether Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 ...Oh, books I HAD to read. Gotcha;). Â None. Â We read excerpts from The Odyssey and Romeo & Juliet from our textbooks/anthology. Â My dentist's kids went to school in Fairfax County (highly rated) and read just ONE more book than I did during high school..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piraterose Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 What I remember from middle school: Where the Red Fern Grows The Girl Who Owned a City (optional for those who finished WTRFG early) O'Henry short stories Great Illustrated Classics comic books Lots of greek/roman Mythology   what I remember from high school:  9th grade: lots of "passages from..." in 9th grade story by Horatio Alger, Jr. (not sure which one) more greek mythology - story of Peresphone comes to mind  10th grade Anne Frank Night Julius Ceasar Romeo and Juliet Robert Frost poems  (took Journalism junior year so no books per say)  AP English senior year: Wuthering Heights Grapes of Wrath 1984 (enjoyed) One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Next (enjoyed) Native Son (hated - I don't think I finished) Lord of the Flies (enjoyed) Crime and Punishment (hated) Hamlet King Lear Antigone (enjoyed) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
74Heaven Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 (edited) Out of the original poster's list, I think there were maybe 4-5 that I had to read. Â And that sums up the required reading in my high school. I really can't believe the great literature that is out there - that we didn't have to read. I only really remember reading and being deeply moved by a few, including Dante's Inferno and To Kill A Mockingbird. Â I am pretty sure I took English/Comp all 4 years and I was an avid reader who actually loved reading and read anything quickly. I am thoroughly enjoying reading as many as possible of the classics on my children's lists. Â Can anyone tell me, was it the "era" I spent in high school? 1976-1980? Â Lj Edited July 28, 2010 by 74Heaven Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirch Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 To Kill a Mockingbird The Crucible Various works by Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Julius Caesar for sure) The Scarlet Letter Wuthering Heights Crime and Punishment Of Mice and Men Various works by Poe The Diary of Anne Frank A Farewell to Arms Oedipus Rex Antigone Selections from Canterbury Tales  Much more, I'm sure . . . it's been a while, and I've read lots since then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emubird Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 9th grade: one short story by Poe after that we watched movies and wrote about them  10th grade: We got to choose our own books: The Plague Dr. Zhivago Farewell to Manzanar The Source and were required to read: Catch-22  11th grade: The Scarlet Letter Huckleberry Finn Sister Carrie Babbitt parts of Walden  12th grade (AP): Tom Jones Wuthering Heights Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Invisible Man As You Like It King Lear Waiting for Godot some poetry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura in CA Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 Some book about two Jewish friends, one boy was from an Orthadox family, while the other family became Zionists & went to help found the Nation of Israel....I can't remember the name of it. Â Must be The Chosen by Chaim Potok. I read it on my own in high school and LOVED it. Â ~Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 (edited) Middle school 7th & 8th grade--  The Witch of Blackbird Pond The Diary of Anne Frank To Kill a Mockingbird Helen Keller's biogrpahy Little Women The Hiding Place Summer of My German Soldier The Red Badge of Courage A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Robinson Crusoe The Pearl ETA: I just remembered The Hobbit & I know we did and some Sherlock Holmes (which I think was 6th grade; my mind is fuzzy) and the Three Musketeers. We also discussed Dante's Inferno, which our teacher read (parts) to us. Robert Frost was really big in Jr high as well. I can still recite at least 3 of his poems. lol And you guessed it: Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening, Good Fences, and The Road NotTraveled. lol  I know there were more, but these are the ones coming to me at the moment. Edited July 28, 2010 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 Â Can anyone tell me, was it the "era" I spent in high school? 1976-1980? Â Â Nope. I was required to read a LOT in high school, and the "era" I spend in high school was 1974-1978, so I was right there in it with you. ;) However, I guess it's possible that my high school was the odd one and most were like yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 (edited) I had to read A Separate Peace in the 9th grade and I thought the end was shocking and that it was unsuitable for people my age. I was really mad about that. Â Also read To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, several books by Ernest Hemingway, Wuthering Heights and Romeo and Juliet. Â The rest of the time, we just read the stories in our literature books, which were great and led me to read some great books. I always read the lit book during the first week of school. Â I've always loved to read, so I didn't really care whether the school assigned books or not. Edited July 28, 2010 by RoughCollie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 My memory is not my strong feature sadly; however, I do recall the following from junior high:  The Lottery The Lady or the Tiger (which I loved) A Tale of Two Cities (I remember being amazed at how wine spilling foreshadowed catastrophic events to come) The Grapes of Wrath  Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 Romeo and Juliet Taming of the Shrew MacBeth Some weird one about a smart rat, and a guy who are in an experiment that makes them both smarter, but its a short lived intelligence. Handmaid's Tale Stone Angel Diary of Anne Frank To Kill A Mockingbird King Lear A Man For All Seasons  Thats what I can remember off the top of my head...Seems like there was another Margaret Atwood and Margaret Lawrence in there somewhere... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura in CA Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 Some weird one about a smart rat, and a guy who are in an experiment that makes them both smarter, but its a short lived intelligence. Â That jogged my memory! Flowers for Algernon? That was a very sad short story. When the man is made smarter, he realizes everyone is making fun of him ... but it's short lived, like you said. He's as trapped as the rat but doesn't know it ... We read it in junior high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 Out of the original poster's list, I think there were maybe 4-5 that I had to read.  And that sums up the required reading in my high school. I really can't believe the great literature that is out there - that we didn't have to read. I only really remember reading and being deeply moved by a few, including Dante's Inferno and To Kill A Mockingbird.  I am pretty sure I took English/Comp all 4 years and I was an avid reader who actually loved reading and read anything quickly. I am thoroughly enjoying reading as many as possible of the classics on my children's lists.  Can anyone tell me, was it the "era" I spent in high school? 1976-1980?  Lj  I graduated in 85 and sadly never took a lit class. I took every creative writing class I could though. I spent time writing my own stories. :lol:  I do remember reading A Separate Peace (liked it), The Pigman (loved it) as required reading.  I read a lot on my own, but generally sci-fi, fantasy, or non-fiction. I'm currently going back and reading the classics. I'm sure I'm getting more out of it than I would have in high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenaj Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 I honestly can't remember what we read in high school - I don't think we ever read complete books, just portions which probably explains my memory loss! Â The one book that I will always remember as required reading was from eighth grade. We studied and analyzed this book for months. I remember having to list all flora and fauna found in this book, all similies and metaphors, we had to underline, highlight, read, and discuss. What book was this wonderful, in-depth analysis done on, you ask? Jaws II. Â Yep. That was considered classical lit for our class in 1978/1979. Of course, the highlight of the months of reading was to go on a field trip to actually watch the movie :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emubird Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 Â "9th grade - I was homeschooled, but still read Great Expectations. My friends who went to my ps for 9th had to read GE and Tale of Two Cities. I've never understood *why* because I've yet to meet anyone who appreciated them in 9th grade." As I posted above, I appreciated Tale of Two Cities in high school (although I don't exactly remember what year it was. I know it was not 12th. 10th or 11th I expect) Â I read Tale of Two Cities in 10th grade and enjoyed it. My daughter read Great Expectations in 9th grade and thought it worth reading -- although she suggested a bit of editing in the middle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 I was just telling my DH last night that I have always envisioned "Classics" as dry, boring books that no one wants to read. I've always felt like I should read more classics, but I've never been too successful at making myself do it (except for Jane Austin novels).  Last night I read The Prince and the Pauper and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. As I have read through this thread there are several books that others mentioned that they hated reading in HS, but I read them on my own and loved them. Here's my list of what I can remember from HS. I know there were more. I think I disliked most of them (it's funny how being required to read causes all this resentment).  King Lear Antigone Crime and Punishment MacBeth Hamlet Romeo and Juliet The Great Gatsby Various Edgar Allen Poe The Scarlet Letter The Fountainhead To Kill a Mockingbird Death of a Salesman Lord of the Flies  Hmmm, I know this is less than half. Maybe the Non-Shakespeare ones I liked got put in the category of free reading in my mind? :tongue_smilie:  I loved my 11th grade English teacher that made us memorize Shakespeare. I can still remember bits of speeches to quote to DH at appropriate moments ("Out, out d*** spot..."). It's given me an appreciation for how important and enjoyable memorization is. I need to incorporate more memory work into our homeschool. Sigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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