Whoa, first real post already?
I feel like reading is ruined for a lot of people by their being forced to read so-called "classics" in high school. Not to demerit the value of classic novels, but we must look at what the consequences are. Forcing 9th graders to read Great Expectations is hardly a way to instill the joy of reading to young people. I don't mean to say that required reading in high school is inherently bad, it's just that the book choice of some schools is questionable at best. Not knowing how schools go about selecting required readings for their students, I cannot speak with authority on this.
A friend of mine recently loaned me Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk. Having never seen the popular movie, I didn't entirely know what to expect from the novel. It was an exciting book that delved into the psyche of the unnamed narrator. I enjoyed it very much and would give it a solid 8 out of 10.
Now, I wouldn't consider myself to be the worst casualty of the aforementioned plague of required reading, but the 208-page book did take me almost an entire semester to read. I've always had the desire to be more of a reader, but when push comes to shove, reading has hardly ever been at the top of my daily priority list. There are many reasons for this, only a very minor one being high school required reading killing my desire to read. One can make as many excuses they want, but 9 times out of 10, it all comes down to your personal priorities.
How would I receive Fight Club if I had read it for a high school English course? It would certainly keep me more interested than Great Expectations, and one could argue that it would give me a much better taste for reading in general. But don't hold your breath for Fight Club to become part of the reading curriculum for high schoolers, as it is full of vivid language, violence, and sex.
Then how do we teach high school English in a way that doesn't kill reading? I suggest a full transition to a curriculum of books by author John Green. But that's just my two cents. What do you think?
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2 comments:
The essay I wrote for English class sorting at the beginning of college was from the prompt: "What book would you teach to a high school class?"
Chuck Palahniuk, duh. Because he doesn't stifle a love of reading.
John Green would probably be better though because he errors on the intelligent side and not the attention grabbing side.
John Green FTW! I HATED reading Great Expectations in High School. I completely agree that the curriculum needs a major overhaul. Glad that you enjoyed Fight Club... I'll have to read it sometime.
p.s. I can't believe you never saw the movie!
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