If you've read any of the following books.... (1 Viewer)

[John Randolph]

....what was your opinion on them. I have to read these books for English this summer and I wanted to know how good they are. (no spoilers, please.)
Great Expectations
The Hiding Place
And Then There Were None
Rebecca
Thanks

 

[Denward]

Are you trying to decide which Cliff Notes to buy??
I read Great Expectations back in 1980 was I was in the 11th grade. It is excruciatingly slow for about the first third or half of the book, but then it gets really, really good after that. I believe that many of Dickens' books were written as serial installments in periodicals so he was paid according to how many words he wrote. The man obviously knew how to play the system.

 

[John Randolph]

Pretty much
I would do that, since I have a very busy summer and don't always have time to read, but we have to have VERY detailed notes on each character and chapter for Great Expectations.
I've started to read Great Expectations, and it is moving pretty slow. Hopefully it will get better.
It seems a little advanced for an 9th grade class, but I understand most of it.
Thanks for any opinions.

 

[Darren H]

If it's any consolation, John, I didn't actually enjoy Charles Dickens until I read Hard Times as a senior in college. Just divide the book into chunks of pages -- for instance, force yourself to read 30 pages a day. That way, if you knock them out before lunch you can just put the book away and forget about it until the next day. I'm 30 years old, working on a Ph.D. in literature, and that's the method that I still use for required reading.

I haven't read The Hiding Place, but And Then There Were None and Rebecca are both fun reads. Plus, great films have been made from both. I'm not saying to watch the films instead, but they'll be good ways to reward yourself when you finish reading.

 

[Christopher P]

And Then There Were None is a fairly quick read, primarily dialogue, with a unique plot. I would almost recommend reading this for the joy of it, as you could probably breeze through it in a few days, and then go back and read it again to see how everything falls in to place. Can't help with the others.

Chris

 

[Jay H]

I think in high school, EVERY Honor's English students, including myself read Sartre's No Exit because it was like 40 pages.. Really strange but in a cool way book though...
Jay

 

[Jefferson]

If you end up just renting the movies, realize that David Lean's Great Expectations doesn't cover the entire novel...although otherwise it is a great version of the story.

I know it is tough to read the big classics in the summer, when there are so many fun distractions, but those books are actually interesting reading, compared to some that could have been assigned...believe me.

 

[Jack Briggs]

John: Curious--are you in a public school? One of those titles would not normally be selected on a public curriculum. JB

 

[Dave Gorman]

I've read all but Rebecca. Great Expectations is my favorite Dickens novel, I've read it about 6 times. Like most Dickens, it is slow to read, but I love his character development, story lines, and his way with words. The Hiding Place and And Then There Were None were much easier to read. I'm a big Agatha Christie fan and have enjoyed most of what I've read by her.

 

[Jason Wilcox]

i don't remember rebecca that well......i do remember that i hated it though...just not why

 

[John Randolph]

Yes, I am in a public school. Were you referring to The Hiding Place when you said that one would not normally be read in a public school?

 

[Jack Briggs]

Howdja guess, John?
No need to elaborate, as we both know the Forum rules here. But I must say it is surprising that that title would be required reading as part of a summer curriculum. Interesting.

 

[Pamela]

There are two books with similar titles: "Hiding Place" and "The Hiding Place." I would guess that "Hiding Place" would be the book that is questionable for public education. "The Hiding Place" is fairly innocuous.

 

[Edwin-S]

After reading synopsis of both these titles, "The Hiding Place" fits perfectly into the "template" for what is considered appropriate reading in public education English courses.

"Hiding Place" on the other hand.....bbzzztt....forget it! There is no way that would be considered appropriate reading in the typical public school.

 

[andrew markworthy]

I read Rebecca about 100000000 years ago. I found it rather trite. Actually, it's a lot more interesting if you know about Daphne DuMaurier's own personal life - the plot can be seen as in some ways a projection of some of her own wishes.

I read Great Expectations for O Level (precursor of the GCSEs, which nearly all kids in the UK have to take at 16). I loved it, and it's remained one of my favourites of Dicken's novels (for the record, above it I'd place David Copperfield and Little Dorrit - avoid Hard Times, The Old Curiosity Shop and Dombey and Son unless you like being depressed). If it's any consolation, it's also just about his shortest novel. If G.E. seems slow at first, it's for two reasons: (a) Dickens has to establish the characters and lay the foundations of the plot (and trust me, what happens in the early pages is *essential* for what later transpires); and (b) if you're only just starting on Dickens, he does seem to drag at the start. I promise that as you read more of his stuff, it becomes easier and easier going. It's a bit like seeing Shakespeare on stage - the first few times you wonder 'what the ****s going on?' until you get attuned to his world. However, the effort to get aquainted is well worth it.

There's an extremely good TV biography of Dickens by Peter Ackroyd. It was on the BBC about a month or so ago, so there's a good chance that it'll be on one of the 'cultural' US stations before too long.

 

[Max Knight]

I've read Great Expectations and Rebecca.

Didn't like either. I've never like Dickens, no matter how many times I've read his work. Rebecca was just rather boring to me. Of course, ample amounts of people can be found who love both these works, so maybe you will enjoy them as well.

 

[Chris Lock]

I had high hopes for Great Expectations but was disappointed.