I was waiting for a friend at Starbucks with my Kobo and after he arrived we started talking about books. We soon discovered we both had the same experience in JHS: The shift from “fun” books to literature killed our appreciation for reading.
In my case, the last *good* book I read back then was *The Man in the Iron Mask* — and the length was not an issue. From late JHS we had to start reading Kafka, Hemingway, Dostoevsky and it took all the fun out of reading, though relatively short in length. (Faulkner was the worst. I still recoil when I think of him.)
I generally kept a book on hand after university but didn’t become an avid reader until e-books became popular. Now I average about 2 books a week, preferring reading to TV in most cases.
What were your reading experiences like during jhs and hs and anyone know what it’s like now?
by applesandclover
3 Comments
College was worse. SO MUCH reading, most of it boring
No because I read books in addition to the ones that were assigned. Also in JHS I became interested in other topics that I pursued for years.
I think in high school especially, I learned to appreciate literature as art and not just as entertainment. I learned to think about what a book’s goals are, and how it is using language to achieve them. This has laid the foundation for a deeper appreciation of literature as well as other art forms. No, I didn’t love every single book I read in high school, but I still think about quite a number of them even now over 15 years since graduating.