What did you have to read in high school?

Liege-Killer · Post by **Liege-Killer** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 6:11 pm

Inspired by these comments:

SandChigger wrote:What WERE you doing in high school, young man?

Freakzilla wrote:Brave New World was required reading for my 11th grade English Lit class. Books never seem as good when you HAVE to read them.

What were YOU required to read in junior high & high school?

As far as I can recall at the moment, my list would go something like this:

Flowers for Algernon
Huckleberry Finn
All Quiet on the Western Front
Animal Farm
Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Call of the Wild
Great Expectations
Wuthering Heights
Hamlet
Romeo and Juliet
MacBeth

Probably a few I forgot. I have a vague memory of some Steinbeck in there somewhere, but I don't know which one it was, or if I even finished reading it. There was also some Civil War novel, I can't quite remember the title, although I'm thinking it had the word "April" in it.

How about you?

The Phantom · Post by **The Phantom** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 7:07 pm

good question... we always had one shakespeare every year, plus at least 1 other novel. let's see if i remember them

Romeo & Juliet
Book of the Dun Cow
MacBeth
To Kill a Mockingbird
Animal Farm
Midsummer Night's Dream
The Kite Runner
Death of a Salesman
King Lear
The Stone Angel

then there were independent studies where we could choose what to read. I read:
1984
War of the Worlds
Fahrenheit 451
Handmaid's Tale

and probably a few more... I can't remember what I read in grades 9 or 10 for my ISUs

Post by **Omphalos** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 7:48 pm

Those lists looks similar to mine. I also read Lord of the Flies, The Princess of Cleves, The Canterbury Tales, Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, Gulliver's Travels, Animal Farm, all the Shakespeare mentioned below, plus The Taming of the Shrew. The one about those rich fags in "East Egg." Lots of others. Lots of "Great American Novel" type books. I went to a prep school and we did a lot of advanced work and read a lot of books. Probably why I am the way I am today, reading four or five books at a time. I had to do that to keep up in lit classes. We read some LeGuin and Asimov too. I had some cool lit teachers.

I remember in a Norton Anthology I once read a poem about some body looking upon rows and rows of lights moving in lines. As the poem progresses it becomes clear that the viewer is looking down on a freeway at night during rush hour behind a wreck, with cars fighting for position, then moving out of the way for emergency vehicles with flashing lights. The viewer turned out to be an alien in a spaceship trying to make sense of our society with out any prior knowledge of our race. I have had that poem in my mind since I remembered it in college, and my junior year I ran across my lit teacher (well, it was my "junior" year, but it was actually 8 years later

) and I tried to ask her the title, but she was senile and her mind was gone by then. I wish I could remember the name of that poem.

Post by **SandChigger** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 8:05 pm

I honestly don't remember. I mean, I remember whether I read something in that period, and that I read a lot more than we were required to read, even in the "college preparatory" course in high school. (Our HS math teacher was evidently worried enough that we weren't being challenged enough in our English classes that she passed out a list of books that "should be read".)

A lot of things we just read excerpts of, in our textbook. BNW was something I read on my own.

Dune Nerd · Post by **Dune Nerd** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 8:19 am

Same as the lot above except I remember in my senior year psych class we read Clockwork Orange. Other than that the fair above is about right. We read a lot of short stories but most of them I can't remember titles.

A Thing of Eternity · Fri Apr 17, 2009 10:13 am

Hell if I remember.

Post by **Omphalos** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 10:33 am

A Thing of Eternity wrote:Hell if I remember.

But...didn't you just graduate last year?

A Thing of Eternity · Fri Apr 17, 2009 11:42 am

Omphalos wrote:
A Thing of Eternity wrote:Hell if I remember.
But...didn't you just graduate last year?

Are you making fun of my memory, or calling me 19?

And, does it make your jab better or worse because I don't understand it?

Post by **Freakzilla** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 1:29 pm

My list is similar, I read 1984 and Animal Farm in Junior HIgh, though.

I didn't see A Seperate Peace on anyone's list. Nor Brave New World <~~ didn't that one prompt this topic?

or...

Beowulf
Illiad & Odysey

Are those long enough to be called "books"?

I know y'all have seen me say I don't like poetry, but I did like the Romantic Movement.

Star Dust · Post by **Star Dust** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 2:07 pm

Hmm...

Romeo and Juliet
Hamlet
Macbeth
All Quiet on the Western Front
Tale of Two Cities
Return of the Native
Lord of the Flies
Watership Down

Plus stuff I can't remember, and tons of short stories.

Post by **Omphalos** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 2:14 pm

Freakzilla wrote:My list is similar, I read 1984 and Animal Farm in Junior HIgh, though.

I didn't see A Seperate Peace on anyone's list. Nor Brave New World <~~ didn't that one prompt this topic?

or...

Beowulf
Illiad & Odysey

Are those long enough to be called "books"?

I know y'all have seen me say I don't like poetry, but I did like the Romantic Movement.

I am not a fan of poetry either, but i love epic poetry. I think Nehkrun does too.

Brave New World was not on any of my reading lists. I read that one late. A Separate Peace? I think I read that. WWII at a college, right? I also had to read Farenheit 451. Did not like it when I was told to read it. Loved it later when I chose to reread it. Funny that way, isn't it?

The Phantom · Post by **The Phantom** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 2:28 pm

we read Lord of the Flies too in grade 9 i believe. someone else's post reminded me of it.

we always had a poetry unit too; sometimes looking at epic poems, or ballads, or other things.

I always loved haiku the best though.....

A Thing of Eternity · Post by **A Thing of Eternity** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 2:41 pm

Baraka Bryan wrote:we read Lord of the Flies too in grade 9 i believe. someone else's post reminded me of it.

we always had a poetry unit too; sometimes looking at epic poems, or ballads, or other things.

I always loved haiku the best though.....

Solid GOLD!

Post by **SandChigger** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 4:16 pm

Real haiku are anything but easy. Most English ones are actually more senryû than haiku.

Anyway, poetry's not that bad ... when it's good. I've always been partial to T.S. Eliot.

Fuck. Above reads like something that ass Hyppo would post, doesn't it?

Post by **Omphalos** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 4:40 pm

Naw. She'd say that she prefers to root around like a cat, like she did at fuzzycons in the 70's, but the costume doesnt fit anymore.

Most English ones are actually more senryû

Those are the funny ones, right?

Liege-Killer · Post by **Liege-Killer** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 4:48 pm

A few memory prods there: I remember doing Beowulf, and I think Return of the Native too.

I liked my lit teachers, but apparently they weren't SF fans.

Post by **Freakzilla** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 6:15 pm

Omphalos wrote:[A Separate Peace? I think I read that. WWII at a college, right?

Yeah, the main character caused his friend to fall out of a tree and break his leg and ruining his sports career. I thought it sucked.

Eyes High · Post by **Eyes High** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 10:33 pm

Either we didn't read as much as y'all did or I have forgotten more than I thought I had:

What I can remember is the following list:
1. Romeo & Juliet
2. The Scarlet Letter
3. Animal Farm
4. Macbeth
5. Red Badge of Courage
6. Huckleberry Finn
7. The Adventure of Tom Sawyer
8. Beowulf (12th grade)

I know we did not read 1984, King Lear, nor Hamlet. I want to say there were one or two more stories that we read because I do remember that I had to order a book with four stories in it and I remember thinking that if they were going to make us read them then the school should pay for them and not make us buy our own. And I recall that The Red Badge of Courage was one of the stories in that collection.

I did read several books just for fun. The story of Lizzie Borden being one of them.

chanilover · Post by **chanilover** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 1:15 pm

In senior school I had to read -

The Merchant of Venice
Macbeth
Animal Farm
My Family And Other Animals
Jane Eyre
Far From The Madding Crowd
Oliver Twist

A load of other books I can't even remember, apart from Cider With Rosie by Laurie Lee. That sticks out in my head as being a book where absolutely nothing happens.

The Phantom · Post by **The Phantom** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 1:32 pm

for the record.. I hated the Stone Angel

worst book I've ever read. I cheered out loud when she dies at the end.

Trang · Post by **Trang** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 9:42 pm

I remember most of those,

I did have to read, that I dont think was mentioned:

The Great Gatsby
The Grapes of Wrath
A tale of Two Cites
Moby Dick

All I can remember at the moment.

Trang

A Thing of Eternity · Mon Apr 20, 2009 11:21 pm

Oh, I did Gatsby too, I remember really liking it.

I also remember reading some SF book, post-apocalyptic, everyone had to be inspected at birth to make sure they weren't "deviants", and they had a big mantra of what exactly constitued a proper human (they thought that the black people down south were a deviation), then some of the kids developing telepathy, don't remember how it ended. I remember liking that one too.

I hated all the Shakespear, not because he isn't important or fantastic, but does he really have to be studied EVERY year? What great playwrites were ignored because of this?

chanilover · Post by **chanilover** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 4:15 am

I went on a school trip to see a Shakespeare play performed in Stratford upon Avon, which I thought at the time was a load of old crap.

The Phantom · Post by **The Phantom** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 5:55 am

A Thing of Eternity wrote:Oh, I did Gatsby too, I remember really liking it.

I also remember reading some SF book, post-apocalyptic, everyone had to be inspected at birth to make sure they weren't "deviants", and they had a big mantra of what exactly constitued a proper human (they thought that the black people down south were a deviation), then some of the kids developing telepathy, don't remember how it ended. I remember liking that one too.

I hated all the Shakespear, not because he isn't important or fantastic, but does he really have to be studied EVERY year? What great playwrites were ignored because of this?

that sounds familiar... i think i've read that too.

A Thing of Eternity · Post by **A Thing of Eternity** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 1:21 pm

Baraka Bryan wrote:
A Thing of Eternity wrote:Oh, I did Gatsby too, I remember really liking it.

I also remember reading some SF book, post-apocalyptic, everyone had to be inspected at birth to make sure they weren't "deviants", and they had a big mantra of what exactly constitued a proper human (they thought that the black people down south were a deviation), then some of the kids developing telepathy, don't remember how it ended. I remember liking that one too.

I hated all the Shakespear, not because he isn't important or fantastic, but does he really have to be studied EVERY year? What great playwrites were ignored because of this?

that sounds familiar... i think i've read that too.

It was in Jr High though, not Highschool. I'm hoping Omph knows what it is, he knows everything.

Post by **Freakzilla** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 1:57 pm

I didn't get anything out of Shakespear either, never saw what the big deal was.

Liege-Killer · Post by **Liege-Killer** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 6:12 pm

I'll give Shakespeare his due, but I don't think he should be studied to the exclusion of all other playwrights. Most high school graduates might come away with the impression that no one else ever wrote plays. I never encountered any Greek plays until college; I think that should be part of a high school education as well.

The Phantom · Post by **The Phantom** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 7:54 pm

Liege-Killer wrote:I'll give Shakespeare his due, but I don't think he should be studied to the exclusion of all other playwrights. Most high school graduates might come away with the impression that no one else ever wrote plays. I never encountered any Greek plays until college; I think that should be part of a high school education as well.

i agree. but good luck getting any school board or teacher to come up with new material. shakespeare is the default because yes, he's one of the greats, but i'd say he remains the default because all of the material or curriculum you'd ever want on his works already exists.

Eyes High · Post by **Eyes High** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 8:44 pm

Although I enjoyed Shakespere in high school, I would have loved to been exposed to more plays by other playwrites.

It was the writer/director of the Outdoor drama I was in during my highschool years that actually provided me with copies of other plays, ancient and modren.

There are more curriculm out there, the problem is the education system seems to have gotten stuck into a groove, especially when it comes to the 'arts.' They (in general) don't want to try anything new. So for the kids to be exposed to anything but the standard, they will have to go out on their own. And how many of today's young ones will do that?

Post by **SandChigger** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 8:51 pm

GO DEAD WHITE DEWDS! FTW!!!

Junior (third) year in HS was AmLit and our teacher was cool (and new to the school and I personally believe looking to stir up some shit) so we read the libretto (I guess you'd call it) of Jesus Christ Superstar.

But thank GOD and Mama England, we had our Willy S. at some point during the other three years!

Post by **Omphalos** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 12:42 pm

A Thing of Eternity wrote:
Baraka Bryan wrote:
A Thing of Eternity wrote:Oh, I did Gatsby too, I remember really liking it.

I also remember reading some SF book, post-apocalyptic, everyone had to be inspected at birth to make sure they weren't "deviants", and they had a big mantra of what exactly constitued a proper human (they thought that the black people down south were a deviation), then some of the kids developing telepathy, don't remember how it ended. I remember liking that one too.

I hated all the Shakespear, not because he isn't important or fantastic, but does he really have to be studied EVERY year? What great playwrites were ignored because of this?

that sounds familiar... i think i've read that too.
It was in Jr High though, not Highschool. I'm hoping Omph knows what it is, he knows everything.

Sounds like something by John Wyndham. Uhhhhhhh? The one right after The Kraken Wakes.....The Crysalids?

The Phantom · Post by **The Phantom** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 1:27 pm

that sounds right... i think i read that in grade 9 possibly as well

A Thing of Eternity · Post by **A Thing of Eternity** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 2:22 pm

Omphalos wrote:
A Thing of Eternity wrote:
Baraka Bryan wrote:
A Thing of Eternity wrote:Oh, I did Gatsby too, I remember really liking it.

I also remember reading some SF book, post-apocalyptic, everyone had to be inspected at birth to make sure they weren't "deviants", and they had a big mantra of what exactly constitued a proper human (they thought that the black people down south were a deviation), then some of the kids developing telepathy, don't remember how it ended. I remember liking that one too.

I hated all the Shakespear, not because he isn't important or fantastic, but does he really have to be studied EVERY year? What great playwrites were ignored because of this?

that sounds familiar... i think i've read that too.
It was in Jr High though, not Highschool. I'm hoping Omph knows what it is, he knows everything.
Sounds like something by John Wyndham. Uhhhhhhh? The one right after The Kraken Wakes.....The Crysalids?

Aha! Excellent, thanks Omph. I'm going to buy that the next time I'm in Chapters, they have a really nice looking new paperback copy out.

Phaedrus · Post by **Phaedrus** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 3:23 pm

Shit..let's see if I can remember it all:

9th grade:
Great Expectations
Romeo and Juliet

10th grade:
Of Mice and Men
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Oedipus Rex
Lysistrata
Ethan Frome

11th grade:
a bunch of poetry from 1880-1930ish
The Age of Innocence
Huckleberry Finn
The Red Badge of Courage
a fuckton of short stories, including Benito Cereno and Bartleby the Scrivener

12th grade:
The Epic of Gilgamesh
Othello
The Merchant of Venice
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Things Fall Apart
1984

Wow...there was a lot more that I'm forgetting. I don't remember titles, only characters and plot details, though.

Post by **Omphalos** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 8:42 pm

A Thing of Eternity wrote:
Omphalos wrote:
A Thing of Eternity wrote:
Baraka Bryan wrote:
A Thing of Eternity wrote:Oh, I did Gatsby too, I remember really liking it.

I also remember reading some SF book, post-apocalyptic, everyone had to be inspected at birth to make sure they weren't "deviants", and they had a big mantra of what exactly constitued a proper human (they thought that the black people down south were a deviation), then some of the kids developing telepathy, don't remember how it ended. I remember liking that one too.

I hated all the Shakespear, not because he isn't important or fantastic, but does he really have to be studied EVERY year? What great playwrites were ignored because of this?

that sounds familiar... i think i've read that too.
It was in Jr High though, not Highschool. I'm hoping Omph knows what it is, he knows everything.
Sounds like something by John Wyndham. Uhhhhhhh? The one right after The Kraken Wakes.....The Crysalids?
Aha! Excellent, thanks Omph. I'm going to buy that the next time I'm in Chapters, they have a really nice looking new paperback copy out.

Aren't some of our T(A)U Scottish Intelligentsia fans of Wyndham? Can one of you guys verify this? Funny thing is that right after this post I found that book and read it, but its been years.

The Phantom · Post by **The Phantom** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 8:50 pm

I think I'll have to pick it up. I liked Day of the triffids and his writing style.

Post by **Robspierre** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 11:50 pm

Lessee 9-12 Grade in Cloudcroft NM:

Romeo & Juliet
Julius Caesar
Excerpts from The Odyssey
a shitload of crappy short fiction but I do recall enjoying "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" by Thurber
Some Steinbeck
Macbeth
King Lear
A Tale of Two Cities
David Copperfield
A Farewell to Arms
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Puddin' Head Wilson (One of my favorite Twain works)
Huckleberry Finn
Our Town
1984
Animal Farm
Very little poetry
Beowulf
The Grapes of Wrath
I recall a little Faulkner.

Most of the literature came in 11th and 12th grade, freshman and sophomore years included busy work grammar instruction.

Rob

Eyes High · Post by **Eyes High** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 3:32 pm

I forgot about Julius Ceasar. I read that one as well.

and a short story called: "The Devil In the Manuel Script"

ionah · Post by **ionah** » Sun May 10, 2009 9:16 am

i can't remember all what i have been forced to read at school...

Post by **Omphalos** » Sun May 17, 2009 2:56 pm

Leto, is Sturgeon well regarded in France? Ive heard that other authors like Philip K Dick and Tim Powers sell a lot of French editions too. I ask because its odd to me to see Sturgeon on an academic required reading list.

Post by **Omphalos** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 8:33 pm

Its taken me a long time to appreciate that book too. Its so subtle, and the main characters are so weak and pathetic.