Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
I can't agree with that. If you read a book too early and you're thus put off a great classic for life, that's very definitely "harm". I was force-fed Dickens in school, and loathed his books. I "rediscovered" him some 30-odd years later, at which point I had the life-experience to understand the social satire of his writing, and was able to appreciate why it is that he's considered one of the greatest of English novelists.
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I have to agree with Harry on this one. I, too, was forced to read many 'great works' in middle school, and it put me off Dickens, Bronte, Hardy, and several others for many, many years. Reading them again as an adult was a wonderful experience, especially as I was sure I'd be bored to tears yet again. On the other hand, there were many books that I loved as a young teen that I simply can't get past the first 30 pages of today. So yes, I think there really is an age related to each book, but it might not be chronological. Different people will react differently at different ages.
Stitchawl