I loved that book--lol. Wharton is an American classic writer that impresses me.
classic books you didnt like
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Thank you for saying this so I didn't have to. I can't understand why such a book was ever written, published, or read, let alone assigned in schools not to mention filmed. The author did write some other good works but I absolutely can't stand that one. (This is back from when I actually used to read assigned reading.)
Well, to be honest, the fact that it was 'assigned reading' may have a lot to do with why I hated it. Who would assign something like this to teenagers? Why?!?
Finnegan's Wake makes everyone's brains hurt--lol.
I was forced to read it in my senior year of high school by a mean, pompous, sadistic beatnik English teacher - Mr Y. We hated each other and battled for four years. (I had him three of my four years). I wrote my (required) paper on the book in nonsensical form. He called me into his office a few days later and told me he was torn between giving me an ‘A’ for creativity or an ‘F’ for being an asshat. I told him he should be smart enough to appreciate the symbolic spirit of the assignment. I got the ‘F.’
About 35 years after graduating, on a trip back to my home town, I visited the local hardware store. A classmate of mine, Bernie, now owned it. We talked over old times for about an hour. Then Bernie gets a big smile on his face and says “Your favorite teacher just walked in the door” and motioned for Mr Y to come over. He didn’t remember me at first. I refreshed his memory of our battles and said... “Your dementia seems to have gotten worse over the years.” He said “Now, I remember you.” We spoke for about a half and hour. I reminded him how he once told the class that I would be lucky to graduate high school, would never amount to anything, and I should pursue a career in garbage collection. I told him how I went on to get a Bachelors degree and then an MBA, and have had a fairly successful professional career. He said he would never have said such a thing in a classroom. Bernie told him... “Oh, yes you did.” Mr Y came back with “maybe I was just trying to motivate you.” I replied “No, you were just a mean SOB and hated me.” Mr Y said in all his years of teaching, he knew he was disliked by most students, but nobody has ever had to guts to say the things I had to say about him to his face, and he admired it. He told me we should get together and talk about life. I said ‘no thanks, four years of you was enough for a lifetime.” We spoke, and jabbed, and laughed for a little while longer, and he went on his way. Afterwards, Bernie said “I can’t believe you actually said those things to Mr Y. I replied, after 35 years the bastid had it coming.
...one if the best stories of karma ever...should copy and paste it to that Thread and thanks for sharing it buddy...I was forced to read it in my senior year of high school by a mean, pompous, sadistic beatnik English teacher - Mr Y. We hated each other and battled for four years. (I had him three of my four years). I wrote my (required) paper on the book in nonsensical form. He called me into his office a few days later and told me he was torn between giving me an ‘A’ for creativity or an ‘F’ for being an asshat. I told him he should be smart enough to appreciate the symbolic spirit of the assignment. I got the ‘F.’
About 35 years after graduating, on a trip back to my home town, I visited the local hardware store. A classmate of mine, Bernie, now owned it. We talked over old times for about an hour. Then Bernie gets a big smile on his face and says “Your favorite teacher just walked in the door” and motioned for Mr Y to come over. He didn’t remember me at first. I refreshed his memory of our battles and said... “Your dementia seems to have gotten worse over the years.” He said “Now, I remember you.” We spoke for about a half and hour. I reminded him how he once told the class that I would be lucky to graduate high school, would never amount to anything, and I should pursue a career in garbage collection. I told him how I went on to get a Bachelors degree and then an MBA, and have had a fairly successful professional career. He said he would never have said such a thing in a classroom. Bernie told him... “Oh, yes you did.” Mr Y came back with “maybe I was just trying to motivate you.” I replied “No, you were just a mean SOB and hated me.” Mr Y said in all his years of teaching, he knew he was disliked by most students, but nobody has ever had to guts to say the things I had to say about him to his face, and he admired it. He told me we should get together and talk about life. I said ‘no thanks, four years of you was enough for a lifetime.” We spoke, and jabbed, and laughed for a little while longer, and he went on his way. Afterwards, Bernie said “I can’t believe you actually said those things to Mr Y. I replied, after 35 years the bastid had it coming.
I was forced to read it in my senior year of high school by a mean, pompous, sadistic beatnik English teacher - Mr Y. We hated each other and battled for four years. (I had him three of my four years). I wrote my (required) paper on the book in nonsensical form. He called me into his office a few days later and told me he was torn between giving me an ‘A’ for creativity or an ‘F’ for being an asshat. I told him he should be smart enough to appreciate the symbolic spirit of the assignment. I got the ‘F.’
About 35 years after graduating, on a trip back to my home town, I visited the local hardware store. A classmate of mine, Bernie, now owned it. We talked over old times for about an hour. Then Bernie gets a big smile on his face and says “Your favorite teacher just walked in the door” and motioned for Mr Y to come over. He didn’t remember me at first. I refreshed his memory of our battles and said... “Your dementia seems to have gotten worse over the years.” He said “Now, I remember you.” We spoke for about a half and hour. I reminded him how he once told the class that I would be lucky to graduate high school, would never amount to anything, and I should pursue a career in garbage collection. I told him how I went on to get a Bachelors degree and then an MBA, and have had a fairly successful professional career. He said he would never have said such a thing in a classroom. Bernie told him... “Oh, yes you did.” Mr Y came back with “maybe I was just trying to motivate you.” I replied “No, you were just a mean SOB and hated me.” Mr Y said in all his years of teaching, he knew he was disliked by most students, but nobody has ever had to guts to say the things I had to say about him to his face, and he admired it. He told me we should get together and talk about life. I said ‘no thanks, four years of you was enough for a lifetime.” We spoke, and jabbed, and laughed for a little while longer, and he went on his way. Afterwards, Bernie said “I can’t believe you actually said those things to Mr Y. I replied, after 35 years the bastid had it coming.
I believe this is a first. I've read a book that Kurt hasn't? Amazing.
OK, i do know about Faulkner. But he is one of these classic authors i've never read for some reason. i remember thinking several times that i ought to read something at least. Same thing with Fitzgerald. But perhaps Karma has wisely steered me clear of them, who knows?
There; fixed that for ya.
Ish, Faulkner. None for me, thank you. I had a friend who thought it was a compliment when a teacher told him he talked like Faulkner wrote. It took him 3 days to tell me that story.
I liked Edith Wharton very much - brave and sassy in the Victorian era.
I can't judge it yet, but I've got a copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray finally - not sure I'm ready for it - it takes a bit of thinking to read the language of that time period. I'll report back about it soon.
edit: Oh - I thought Fitzgerald was a disappointment. I found his writing hard to follow. He was a dedicated alcoholic, so maybe that's why. When I read about that era, for some reason, I prefer reading about the common folks and the poverty ridden folks - there was so much going on then.
It took him 3 days to tell me that story.I liked Edith Wharton very much - brave and sassy in the Victorian era.
I can't judge it yet, but I've got a copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray finally - not sure I'm ready for it - it takes a bit of thinking to read the language of that time period. I'll report back about it soon.
edit: Oh - I thought Fitzgerald was a disappointment. I found his writing hard to follow. He was a dedicated alcoholic, so maybe that's why. When I read about that era, for some reason, I prefer reading about the common folks and the poverty ridden folks - there was so much going on then.
I'm another who dislikes Faulkner. I've read him, because I once had an obsession with reading as many of the 'classics' as I could manage, but I gave up after the third one. I didn't like any of them. Fitzgerald is okay--I liked The Great Gatsby and Tender is the Night well enough. The Picture of Dorian Gray was all right, as well (the most recent movie was a atrocious, though). Oscar Wilde was a better raconteur than writer (especially of poetry--his is pretty bad), but this and a few of the short stories were well done.
I kissed her, but I never Faulkner.
Derf.
But yeah, Faulkner is a chore. Writes his way all around a story without telling one.
Derf.
But yeah, Faulkner is a chore. Writes his way all around a story without telling one.
I actually like Faulkner. He seems like the literary grandfather to Cormac McCarthy. I agree that his style and nebulous plotting can be demanding of the reader.
