What books should people be made to read?

Thu Oct 28, 2004 4:06 pm

What do you guys think, are books that everyone should read in thier liftime. In other words, which books are SO good, that they can not be missed?

Anyone have any?

Website · Thu Oct 28, 2004 4:12 pm

I think lord of the Flies should be read, but a lot of people hate that book because they have bad school memories of it.

another one is The Outsiders, I really like this book, it has a pretty good lesson we should all know.

And Life of Pi, it's just such a cool book. I'm really getting into it. =)

Website · Thu Oct 28, 2004 4:15 pm

I don't think people should be made to read anything, personally, but there are a large majority of books I would recommend to people.

For younger people, classics like "The Very Hungry Catepillar" and "Goodnight Mr. Owl" are very good.

As one gets older, I would recommend fewer books as brilliant, as people's tastes develop. Harry Potter seems to be popular, and though I like reading it, it isn't good enough to warrant a place in the book that everyone should read, because in some places the storyline is a bit sloppy, and the literary techniques are a little weak. (Please don't kill me!)

In other words, books that I have read, aren't neccessarily books that other people would enjoy, I don't believe people should have to read books they don't enjoy.

Thu Oct 28, 2004 4:35 pm

Xil wrote:And Life of Pi, it's just such a cool book. I'm really getting into it. =)

...I almost bought that today, then stopped, 'cause I couldn't remember if I'd heard it was really good or really bad.

No books really come to mind, though I agree with the ones Xil said...

Thu Oct 28, 2004 5:21 pm

I haven't read Life of Pi yet.. I'll have to check it out!

Thu Oct 28, 2004 7:37 pm

I read Lord Of The Flies out of school so it wasn't ruined, its now one of my favourite books. I don't like tearing books to pieces and analysing them because it tends to ruin the book for me.

I don't really have any books that I think everyone should read because what I liked, someone else may hate.

Thu Oct 28, 2004 7:54 pm

Maybe I said it a little too strongly.

Just books that you think most people would enjoy, though there may be a few that don't.

Thu Oct 28, 2004 7:59 pm

Raze wrote:I read Lord Of The Flies out of school so it wasn't ruined, its now one of my favourite books. I don't like tearing books to pieces and analysing them because it tends to ruin the book for me.

Tell me about it. Every book we read in school we write essays a goodness knows what else. It really ruins them all >.<

Website · Thu Oct 28, 2004 9:04 pm

In my Romeo & Juliet folder, which includes every essay we wrote after the last two years analysing R&J, it's contexts, it's themes etc. It has over 50 sides in it.

Books that many will enjoy...

The Alex Rider series is very good. It's a fun book, though its appeal to me is less one of literature, rather one of storyline.

CS Lewis, and the Chronicles of Narnia, are very good books which I suggest reading to all, and for horror lovers - Christopher Pike is a must! His books for younger children, Spooksville, are just lovely, and his older horror books have a real tinge of creepiness to him.

Thu Oct 28, 2004 9:33 pm

Matt wrote:
As one gets older, I would recommend fewer books as brilliant, as people's tastes develop. Harry Potter seems to be popular, and though I like reading it, it isn't good enough to warrant a place in the book that everyone should read, because in some places the storyline is a bit sloppy, and the literary techniques are a little weak. (Please don't kill me!)

I'm afraid you leave me no choice... :evil:

Anyhoo, I think that everyone should read The Chronicles of Narnia and Susan Cooper's 'The Dark is Rising' sequence. BEST fantasy series I have ever read.

Website · Fri Oct 29, 2004 12:59 am

The two books I personally think everyone should have to read are Carl Sagan's Cosmos and Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything.

Fri Oct 29, 2004 4:45 am

Xil wrote:I think lord of the Flies should be read

its not really the bad school memories that make me hate it, more the strange referances to world war three (damn reds XD).

Matt wrote:For younger people, classics like "The Very Hungry Catepillar"

However that I do agree with.

Website · Fri Oct 29, 2004 4:18 pm

Matt wrote:For younger people, classics like "The Very Hungry Catepillar"

Greatest. Book. Evar.

I never got into CS Lewis.

Fri Oct 29, 2004 4:40 pm

Xil wrote:
Matt wrote:For younger people, classics like "The Very Hungry Catepillar"

Greatest. Book. Evar.

I dunno, I'm still fond of The Giving Tree. The Polar Express is nice too...

Fri Oct 29, 2004 7:24 pm

[quote="Matt"]Harry Potter seems to be popular, and though I like reading it, it isn't good enough to warrant a place in the book that everyone should read, because in some places the storyline is a bit sloppy, and the literary techniques are a little weak. (Please don't kill me!)quote]

I am sorry but i feel like breaking things from that, i WILL kill you. AAAaaargh!! my head hurts