Classic Lit

The non-reading teenager asked us at supper if we had read The Scarlet Letter. I hoped he wasn't wondering if the A on her chest was an Assumption High School letter. But then, when he casually shared the plot and knew what adultery was, I kind of wished he did think it was a school uniform.

I forget that every generation "grows up" a little faster than the one before. I know some of the plots of the classic novels we had to read baffled me. And granted, quite a few confuse Carter, too. But it made me think of the "classics" we had to read in Mrs. Petersen's high school English class and what I remembered most.

Off the top of my head, the following were some of my classic lit favorites – as in, I read them more than once and maybe more than twice:

• Roots
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• Of Mice and Men
• Animal Farm

Well that was an odd mix. I also enjoyed these (and I'm sure others but these are in my memory bank):

• Across Five Aprils
• Lord of the Flies
• The Last of the Mohicans
• Little Women
• The Outsiders
• Shane
• Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth
• Where the Red Fern Grows
• The Yearling
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
• Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
• Jane Eyre
• Rebecca
• Great Expectations

Here are a few I did not enjoy, but they were memorable (as classics should be, I guess):

• All Quiet on the Western Front (too gory)
• Catch-22 (major, majorly confusing)
• The Old Man and the Sea (who cares)
• The Great Gatsby (should re-read it now that I saw the movie, LOL)
• The Grapes of Wrath (too wordy)
• Moby Dick (didn't care)
• The Catcher in the Rye (what was the fuss?)

After thinking of all these (and I know I missed a lot), I still can't recall if I read The Scarlet Letter. I would have had to, I suppose. But like some of the other confusing ones, perhaps I just didn't get it.

Of course, with all my life experiences and what I've learned since, I should probably go back and re-read the entire list. I would definitely have a different perspective.

And, like Carter, I might enjoy them more knowing I did not have to write a book report or take a test on them! (No offense, Mrs. P.)