Quote:
Originally Posted by RHWright
I wouldn't call myself a Dickens "lover," though I certainly don't hate him.
What I find disheartening is so many people I'm exposed to who declare they hate this or that "classic" book because their only encounter with it was being assigned (i.e. forced) to read it in school.
What is it about so many schools that seem to do the opposite of what they intend---instill a love of reading and literature?
To the "haters" out there who had that type of bad school experience, give Dickens and those other classics another try on your own time. You may be surprised how enjoyable they are when the onus of being forced to read them is off.
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Well stated. I think people often confuse the negative experience of being forced to read any book in class (in high school say) with there being something terrible about the book. I can still recall the experience of assigned reading back then and would say it is a wonder that it did not kill my love of reading. The slow pace of getting through the book as scheduled, the need to read every word with an eye to the coming assignment to analyze the book, being force to stand in front of class and deliver a report. It is a wonder that I did not come away hating Dickens, Hemingway, Steinbeck, and many other authors that I grew to love when I was reading by choice.
Confession of a Dickens fanatic.