# Must Reads Before the End of High School (?)



## Rampala (Feb 23, 2003)

I'm starting to create a list of books that I should read before I leave High School.  That is, particularly because I'm hoping to be some sort of English major in college. 

Any suggestions for my list would be greatly appreciated! Even if it's just "read at least one book by [this author]" or on [this topic].  Etc...

Thanks for your help! 

_qui sans cesse,_
~Natalie Rose


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## Chrispian (Feb 23, 2003)

If you haven't read it yet, you should read The Stranger, by Albert Camus. It's translated from French, it's pretty short and it'll be required reading at most schools. It's a pretty good example Existentialism in writing, but more than that it was just a good book. Well written and remarkebly easy to get through for the subject matter.


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## midnightmare (Mar 19, 2003)

If you can find it:

The Night Is Dark And I Am A Long Way From Home by Jonathan Kozol. One of my lit. teachers gave me a copy and said "Here. Take from it what you will, and pass it on when you are ready." It's an unkind but sharp examination of how we grow into the world around us. Highly suggested if you have the time to hunt it down. It's not too thick, but takes a while to absorb.

Also, Einstein's work. That man had some unreal insight. It's also impressive to be able to quote the silly bugger from time to time. Passing on those little tidbits to other people has the effect of making them seek out knowledge for some reason. I know it worked on me!


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## Aliena (Mar 22, 2003)

I would say:

To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston
Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
Of Mice & Men - John Steinbeck
Flowers for Algernon - can't remember the author

And there are many more, but I just woke up, so I'm having a hard time thinking of them.


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## False Dawn (Apr 18, 2003)

If you're looking to do English at a higher level, I've been told a firm basis in the Classics is good. This means the Bible, works by Homer (the Iliad and the Oddysey) and others of the time. The Bible, I've been told, is a must, because so many books use Biblical imagery of some kind, and many meanings can be lost if you don't know at least some of the religious stories.

Other than that, I think more modern classics are good to read, especially books like 1984, A Christmas Carol, etc. There really is no real list for what you should read, I don't think, but a wide knowledge of literature is good to have before you start such courses.


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## Isabo (Apr 21, 2003)

*Book reccommendations*

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou
The Color Purple - Alice Walker
War & Peace - Leo Tolstoy
Crime & Punishment - Dostoevsky
The Raw & The Cooked - Claude Levi Strauss
The Catcher In The Rye - J.D.Salinger

Those are all the usual classics.  Dostoevsky & Tolstoy can be a bit heavy going/boring at some parts but it depends what you like

isabo x


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## Andrew (Apr 22, 2003)

I agree with what midnightmare mentioned on the Einstein books.  Some of what he wrote is a little beyond the average mind's ability to comprehend, but a lot of it is accessible to even the mediocre physicist's imagination.

As a corollary to that, read the Stephen Hawking books as well.  His _A Brief History of Time_ is a _phenomenal_ book and is relatively easy to comprehend (mainly because he wrote it for the general public and not the science world).  Also, Brian Greene's _The Elegant Universe_ is quite good, I've heard.  And all of them really help you understand how the universe works.

I would also say that if you haven't read them, any of Ayn Rand's books are recommended.  I'm sure that in college you'll discuss her writing and/or her ideologies at least once, and if you read nothing else by her, pick up _Anthem_.  It's quite short, but quite powerful as well.

I would suggest, as well, that you read _Stranger in a Strange Land_ by Robert Heinlein.  Any of his other books (_Farnham's Freehold_, _Starship Troopers_, _The Number of the Beast_) are recommended as well, but SiaSL is an absolute _necessity_, especially from a sociological standpoint (_Farnham's Freehold_ is another great sociological book by him).


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## Id (May 12, 2003)

Chrispian said:
			
		

> If you haven't read it yet, you should read The Stranger, by Albert Camus. It's translated from French, it's pretty short and it'll be required reading at most schools. It's a pretty good example Existentialism in writing, but more than that it was just a good book. Well written and remarkebly easy to get through for the subject matter.




 Yes, you're right, but I think tehat even better would be Camus' "The Plague". In fact, I wrote about it on my final exams in high school   

 I can also add:

  "Remembrance of things past" by Marcel Proust
  "Ulisses" by James Joyce


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## yad4u (May 16, 2003)

Although these books might not be the most literarily significant for high school, I would have to suggest my favorite book "The Talisman," by Stephen King. It's not as horror filled as most of his other books. I've read it 6 times, and i'm still in high school. 

"The Stand" by him is good too 

Brandon


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## free_mind_7 (May 17, 2003)

i would have to agree with yad4u when saying that stephen king is a must read.  no tbecaus ehe'll get u into college but because he's good for a reader's mind.  i must say that if there is any one book by him to read it owuld be Bag Of Bones. that is the first book i ever read by him and since then i havent been able to stop just buying his books let alone reading them.  good luck with trying to major in english.


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## mattquarterstein (May 27, 2003)

Aliena said:
			
		

> I would say:
> 
> To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
> Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
> ...



I tried reading a Tale of Two Cities once. Tried...  :lol:


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## aubie84 (Jun 6, 2003)

I have to nod agreement with several already mentioned, especially "Cather in the Rye" and "To Kill a Mockingbird." If the purpose of this reading is to prepare for college, you likely need to read "Beowulf" and "The Canterbury Tales," as well. 

The mention of "Ulysses" made me wince --- not because I necessarily disagree with the choice, but, when tackling Joyce, that's not where I would begin. It's quite a difficult read and, I think, would be more easily digested after you read Joyce's "Dubliners" (a collection of short stories) or "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man."

Poets you should be familar with:

T.S. Eliot ("The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock")
Wallace Stevens
William Carlos Williams
Lord Byron ("She Walks in Beauty")
e.e. cummings
William Butler Yeats
John Keats
Robert Browning

Hope this helps!

DG/aubie84


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## Anonymous (Jun 13, 2003)

The ACT study book that I used had a long list in it.  I'll try and find it and post what hasn't been mentioned yet.


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## debatertwig67 (Jun 15, 2003)

ooh, ooh: go to your library/local bookstore. go to the fiction section. find the V's. Stop at Vonnegut. Pick whatever you can carry. The best ones are Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions.

I'm also fond of Catch-22. For some reason the author's name escapes me. (I guess I read too much "black humor" but...what can you do?)

a few more:
In the Lake of the Woods or If I Die in a Combat Zone... by Tim O'Brien
The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky
Black Boy or Native Son by Richard Wright
Huck Finn by Samuel Clemens (AKA Mark Twain)
The Chosen by Chaim Potok
Walden by Thoreau (a good essay is "Civil Disobedience")

Some Plays:
"The Crucible" by Arthur Miller
"The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail" by two random guys I can't remember...I suck with names


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## Bartleby (Jun 24, 2003)

Some knowledge of Shakespeare is definately helpful. You should definately be familiar with Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Othello for tragedy and the Tempest and Midsummer Night's Dream for comedy.  A history play or two wouldn't be a bad idea either. 

Just thought I'd add that in since no one else mentioned the Bard.


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## nightshade (Jun 25, 2003)

mattquarterstein said:
			
		

> I tried reading a Tale of Two Cities once. Tried...  :lol:



i've been trying to read moby dick for years.  i never seem able to finish it.  i even got past all the chapters about the different types of whales.


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## Bartleby (Jun 25, 2003)

nightshade said:
			
		

> mattquarterstein said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Ah, the proverbial great white whale, of American literature. I had similar bad experiences with Melville, but it was nothing compared with the hell of being forced to read the Scarlet Letter in high school. It's quite possible that I could enjoy the book now, but if a naked Demi Moore in a big screen adaptation couldn't tempt me to the theatre or video store, I'm sure the scarring goes way too deep.


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## amie (Jun 25, 2003)

Having just received my BA in English, I must add my input here    All of the suggestions so far are fantastic to know for the classroom, and I can guarantee you will run across most of them over the course of your four years. You might also want to look into Emerson and Thoreau and any of the early American authors...I found Thomas Cole and the Hudson River School particularly interesting. 

Another necessity that I started on far to late is anything by Jack Kerouac. He won't help you in your classes (or maybe he will), but his books are fantastic and full of examples of people just gnawing on life. On the Road is a good starter...

Happy Reading!

- amie -


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## lemon (Jul 25, 2003)

> I tried reading a Tale of Two Cities once. Tried...



Good book.  I read it in three days for a school paper...dickens is a little long-winded though...

I am in my senior year of highschool and have found what I read for fun to help me in english as much as the stuff I've read for school, maybe even more so, even if they're not classics or anything like that.  If you want to major in english and, I assume, start a career in writing, you don't really need certain books to tell you what you need to know, because if you're on this site chances are you already know you can write, but it does help the more you read.  If that makes any sense.

You should probably read Ernest Hemingway, though personally I don't like his writing style.  Ray Bradbury, George Orwell.  But I don't recommend forcing yourself to read certain books because you feel you HAVE TO in order to be "Well Read".  Read what you like and what interests you.


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## The Pope (Aug 14, 2003)

Three words for you:  The Brothers K.

I would give a plot synopsis, but it's nearly impossible, the amount of detail in this book.  It's a story of baseball, of war, of religion, and more than anything, of family.  It chronicles the strifes and confrontations of one generation of the Chance clan, a family torn apart by the Vietnamese war, budding intellectualism, and the gradual decline of human sanity.  You can get it at any bookstore worth it's salt, it's written by David James Duncan, he's fairly well known.  His other stuff is also good, particularly The River Why, but this book is gold.  Do yourself a favour and pick it up.


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## Bartleby (Aug 14, 2003)

I wonder perhaps if the title of the book you are speaking of is in reference to the Brothers Karamaszov by Fyodor Doeskevesky&lt;sp?>. If so I'm sure it's excellent, the Russian novel certainly was.

~Bart


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## The Pope (Aug 14, 2003)

It is a reference, and The Brothers Karamaszov is quoted extensively throughout, referneces are made, etc.


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## Kittie (Aug 18, 2003)

I'd read anything I could get my hands on!  And why worry about whether or not you'll study it in college?  You'll just have to read it again, anyhow! :wink:


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## Bobthegreatjohn (Aug 19, 2003)

books that id read:

Atwood's  "handmaid's tale"
An amazing book, really gets you thinking

Orson scott card: At least Enders game (the others if you really like them)
The books after that one become very different than the first...but it gives an interesting view into both politics, government...and a possible future of hte world...an interesting read.

Dracula:  who coulda thought a book in diary entry form could be soo good!

Some of Poe's short stories....those are always good, if slightly weird.


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## tissue (Aug 20, 2003)

I personally enjoyed "The Sea-Wolf" by Jack London. I thought it was very well written, and certainly a classic.


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## Matrix (Aug 26, 2003)

On the Road by Jack Kerouac it's said he captures the pure essence of life, and he really does, if you don't get to it by the end of High School it's a good college read too.  But you should really read it!


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## Annie Insight (Sep 3, 2003)

I agree with aubie...about the "Beowulf" and "Canterbury Tales"...I read them in my senior year!  I loved them...

I read "1984" by George Orwell after I left high school, but I do think that one should be part of the list.  I hated that one!  Love the author...he can write well, in my opinion...but that story ticked me off so bad I had to put it down three times before I finished it!  It just didn't coincide with my personality, I guess.  

I think if you're into spirituality as well as good writing, the "Celestine Prophecy" series (or perhaps just the first book) would be a good source.  These make you think about what your life (and others around you) are truly worth and what your choice about what to do about it is.


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## andrewgreene (Sep 9, 2003)

Just thought that I would chime in and add my two cents.

For me, I spent a lot of time in high school doing nothing, until my senior year. I read so much that year and I don't think I'll ever understand why. Anyway, here is a list of some of the books that I read that year.

1. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien (Has since become a September tradition for me)

2. The Dark Tower Series - Stephen King (with the remainder of the series coming out soon, now is the best time to start reading these)

3. Anthem & Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand (Probably the most interesting reads...ever)

4. 1984 - George Orwell (Changed my views on the world)

5. Macbeth - William Shakespeare (My favorite Shakes)

That was my reading list for my senior year. There was some other stuff in there that didn't affect me as much as these.


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## Lily (Sep 16, 2003)

Here's my list:

1) This is if you can read Spanish: _En La Ardiente Oscuridad_ by Antonio Buero Vallejo. It's a really moving play. 

2) The Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tan. It's about Chinese people, but I believe that it really applies to everyone

3) Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

4) Pay it Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde (definitely read the book before you see the movie- the book is SO much better than the movie!!)

5) Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

6) Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein

7) Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (But Speaker for the Dead is a lot better)

8) Please Stop Laughing at Me by Jodee Blanco. This book is about bullying- a must read for anybody from parents to students- it's genuinely both moving and inspriational. By the way, it's a true story.



I can't think of any others at the moment- my brain is currently fried, but I'm sure I'll be back with more ideas


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## A_MacLaren (Jul 5, 2004)

Terry Pratchett: Anything and everything. Anything he does is good and should be read immediately.
Call of the Wild, by Jack London.
Probably Harry Potter, because it's good, old-fashioned rollicking fun.
Shakespeare, blah blah blah...
Tolkien: The Hobbit. Very different from LOTR, but well worth the read.


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## Fishcake (Jul 5, 2004)

Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll.
Oscar Wilde's stuff; Ernest and Dorian Gray are good starting points.
Possibly, just possibly, G.K. Chesterton's stuff (f.ex. The Man Who Was Thursday, Napoleon of Notting Hill). I don't know how greatly you'll touch upon him, though, so he's only "possibly".

Good luck to you.


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## Andrew (Jul 28, 2004)

Figured I'd start reposting in here by bringing up something I'd posted to a while back:



			
				yad4u said:
			
		

> Although these books might not be the most literarily significant for high school, I would have to suggest my favorite book "The Talisman," by Stephen King. It's not as horror filled as most of his other books. I've read it 6 times, and i'm still in high school.


My dad had told me to read this book years ago.  I finally borrowed it from him and read it quite recently, and I thought it was fantastic.  _The Talisman_, much like King's Dark Tower series, is less horror and more just generally good reading.



			
				andrewgreene said:
			
		

> The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien


Another one that I finally read this past year.  And yes, it practically took me a year to read it, if you also count the time off I took to read other things.  It was tough getting through the beginning of _Fellowship_, but once it picked up I found it much easier to stick with.


			
				andrewgreene said:
			
		

> The Dark Tower Series - Stephen King


As I mentioned with _The Talisman_, this whole series is just great.  I'm reading the fifth book, _Wolves of the Calla_, right now.  And liking it just fine, thankyouverymuch.


			
				andrewgreene said:
			
		

> Anthem & Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand


Have NOT read _Atlas Shrugged._  But I hear it's great.  I mentioned _Anthem_ in my first post in the thread, though, and I reiterate that it's definitely something you need to read.


			
				andrewgreene said:
			
		

> 1984 - George Orwell


If there is anybody over the age of eighteen who has not read this book, they should be imprisoned until they've finished it.  Maybe then we wouldn't have so many people willing to give up their civil liberties for a little added Homeland Security.


			
				andrewgreene said:
			
		

> Macbeth - William Shakespeare


The Scottish Play is not only one that needs to be read, but also one that needs to be SEEN, or even better yet, ACTED.  As with all of Shakes' plays, it's far better in practicum than it is on paper.

I'll also add this: for _anybody_ who hasn't read the Harry Potter series because they feel it's too foolish, or "below" them to read a children's book, or who just don't think they'd enjoy it, I STRONGLY urge you to read them.  All five.  The first one won't take more than a few hours of your time if you're a decently-fast reader, and I promise you that if you're not completely in love with the characters by the end of the first book, I'll... well, I won't do anything.  But I'll be very surprised.  J.K. Rowling has done more for children's literacy than any other writer in the last hundred years, I feel.


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## FallenAngel (Aug 3, 2004)

I recamend "The Coldest Winter Ever" --Sister Souljah it was an amazing read (read it 10 times)
"Cursed be the child"--Mort Castle it was a bone chiller to say the lest


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## Kitsune Xeya (Sep 7, 2004)

Hiroshima, by some author I cant remember because i'm lazy.....(I'll get back to you ont hat one) 

Its about 6 different peopls experience on the bombing of Hiroshima, and how they went through all that stuff..... 

I've only read te first chapter and a half, and its a rather detached view of the bombing, and a bit boring, but its what we read in school, so i'll recomend it because I can. 

.....On a more personal recomendation, Anne Rice is a briliant writer, although youhave to actually pay attention, and may cause you to get destracted somewhat if you can't get into it.....but there are two movies bassed on two of her books, and book 'Queen of the Damned' has more of a background than the movie....but I will recomend her all the same for a good fitional writer....


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## Talia_Brie (Sep 7, 2004)

Triton, by Samuel Delaney - top class Utopian Fiction
Pride & Prejudice, Jane Auston - for an udnerstanding of interpellation and reader placement etc. I didn't think this was a terribly enjoyable book for me, but it says a lot about what was going on when it was written.
Read a bit of crime fiction.
Some Shakespeare will be useful. I enjoyed The Tempest.
The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde - again from an analysis perspective this was really interesting, and if any of your lecturers are gay they'll love him.
The Devils Dictionary, by Ambrose Bierce. I loved this for adding quotes into essays. Just good fun playing with words.
You'll need to read some classic poetry, Wordsworth, Keats etc, and some analysis of it, of you've never done any.
If you're going to write, then read some Hemmingway, purely for the dialogue. See if you can get hold of a short story called "The White Elephant."
See if you can get a hold of the mss of "Angels in America".


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## bobothegoat (Sep 7, 2004)

Douglas Adam's _Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_.   If you can, get the _Ulitmate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_, which has the entire series.

As for Harry Potter, make sure you read the books rather than watch the movie.  The first and second ones weren't bad, but the third movie was awful (despite that it got good reviews.  It doesn't make sense because it doesn't explain anything (even if you've seen the other two movies).  The books, on the other hand, are very well written.


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## CelticBardess (Sep 7, 2004)

Bartleby said:
			
		

> Some knowledge of Shakespeare is definately helpful. You should definately be familiar with Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Othello for tragedy and the Tempest and Midsummer Night's Dream for comedy.  A history play or two wouldn't be a bad idea either.
> 
> Just thought I'd add that in since no one else mentioned the Bard.



Hmmm....good choice.  I know most freshman English classes (or sophomore depending on the school) read "Romeo and Juliet" so I don't think you'll have to worry about that one.  Midsummer Night's Dream is really good too, but for the tragedy I would have to say to read "Macbeth."  I know it's less well-known as compared to Hamlet, but I had to read it for my Junior english class, and I enjoyed it.

For another play (possibly a history play), try and get "The Laramie Project."  It is incredibly awesome, and incredibly moving (for myself and my posse at least).  My high school put it on, and we had at least two sell-out crowds which was a record for my school.  It is really a good play.

-Anne.


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## fleakeepr (Nov 29, 2004)

Anything by Kurt Vonagutt (sp.) but especially Cat's Cradle and Hocus Pocus. Also, read some Hemmingway, if you are going to be an English Major.


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## Smurf Mamita (Nov 30, 2004)

Flowers For Algernon was written by Daniel Keyes

The House of Spirits - Isabelle Allende
In the Time of the Butterflies - Julia Alvarez
Brave New World - Huxley (I forget his first name. It's really weird. Aldous or something??)
Dawn - I don't remember the author...
Frankenstein - It actually gets kind of (I stress KIND OF) interesting towards the end. Mary Shelley
Great Expectations - Despite how incredibly boring the guy is. Charles Dickens
1984 - I guess is highly recommended. I hated that book. George Orwell
Things Fall Apart - I forget the author
Siddhartha - Forget the author 
Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi This is a graphic novel and takes less than a day to read. But it's a great book. It was my part of my precourse assignment for class (junior IB english.)

I think that's it...that I can think of...hmm...


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## NoWorries (Nov 30, 2004)

I think the reason a lot of people dislike 1984 is the end.

For the end, I like Farenheit 451 better.  Either book is good though.

Some great suggestions so far, the only ones that I can throw in that haven't been mentioned:

Something by Hemingway, all of his stuff is great.  I recommend his short story collection "The Snows of Kilamanjaro" or the book, "The Old Man and the Sea" either one you can finish in two days or less, and will leave you better off.

Lastly, the "Prophet" by Kahlil Gribran will give you a good philosical(sp?) entry to college; short, written like a story, and a nice understandable outlook.

Ultimately, I wrote out my list a while ago, and you might enjoy looking at it.

Good luck!

http://www.writingforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=7119&highlight=

At the bottom.


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## Ham (Nov 30, 2004)

Sorry I didn't see this sooner (months sooner).  As somebody who has at times had a hand in designing college lit curricula and in evaluating students for placement therein, I've got some very concrete suggestions on this.  Assuming your sincere interest is preparing your mind for the Eng Dept rigor of a GOOD school, you should consider the following:

1) If you're going to major in English LITERATURE, then it isn't so much what you've read, as how you've learned to read.  Most HS students are woefully deficient at any aspect of literary understanding beyond simple matters of plot and theme.  You can remedy that with a decent understanding of the material in something like Thomas Foster's _How to Read Literature Like a Professor_.  In one book, you'll be literarily ahead of somebody who's read the whole Western canon without knowing what to look for.

From there, you'd be well advised to let a scholar lead you by the hand through a few literary works.  Something like Nabokov's _Lectures on Literature_ will walk you through several excellent literary novels in the way a scholar would approach them.  Or, if you prefer the material, Harold Bloom's _How to Read and Why_.  Either volume, studied together with the first I mentioned, will have you in a more literarily savvy place than 90% of public school BA grads in no time.


2) If you're going to major in English WRITING, it isn't what you've read, and it isn't what you intend to write.  It's how well you write and understand that peculiar beast, the LITERARY SHORT STORY.  Almost every creative writing program in a good school workshops almost exclusively in this form.

To _understand_ the literary short story, read, re-read, and comprehend Rust Hills' _Writing in General and the Short Story in Particular_.  It's the only guide to writing and understanding this breed of story that will serve you well in a collegiate workshop environment.  When other students say, "I really like it.  I can totally relate to the character Tom," you'll be able to comment meaningfully on the structure, symbolism, voice, POV, etc., and suggest worthwhile improvements.  Your professors will be kept so busy writing little stars next to your name that they won't have time to be impressed by anybody else in the room.

To _write_ the literary short story, grab volumes and volumes of short stories of a style and voice you like.

Minimalist?  Read all the Hemingway and Carver you can.

Postmodern?  David Foster Wallace, William T. Vollman, and the like.

Satirical?  George Saunders, Adam Johnson, TC Boyle.

Any SS reading will help, but you'll develop your voice and style more quickly and solidly if you read heavily in a style that grabs your imagination.

Good luck.


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## Sub (Dec 5, 2004)

There are a few graphic novels that have been neglected to be mentioned here (I would guess because they deal with superheroes).

WATCHMEN by Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons.  The richest, most powerful comic (or book, for that matter) I have ever read.  The characters, the setting, even the heroes they portray all seem real, adding much more weight to the work as a whole.

Spider-man:  Kraven's Last Hunt-J.M. DeMatteis.
Splendid writing--even better artwork-- of Kraven's final descent into madness.  Again, the characters seem to leap from the page, and you feel for all their plights, hero or villain.

And for some wild commentary on how screwed up the television industry is today, pick Allred & Milligan's X-Force and X-Statix.  Wonderful reads for the person who doesn't want to read a typical superhero comic.

Now to some novels:

American Gods by Neil Gaiman:  Modern fantasy, as good as any timeless classic on your shelf.

Game of Thrones, Clash of Kings, Storm Of Swords By George R.R. Martin.  High fantasy in top form.

Personally, as a person who likes to read, I found Farenheit 451 to be deeply unsettling (I was also 12).  I keep seeing it and I get scared for some reason.


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## FootballStar20 (Dec 11, 2004)

I'm a senior in high school but I think these books that I've read should be read by all high school students.

-Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
-One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
-All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
-The Dune Series by Frank Herbert
-Any Greek tragedy (especially Antigone so you can see how close Creon is to Bush)

I'm sure there are some I'm missing but I can't think of them.


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## lisajane (Dec 11, 2004)

I studied both English and English Literature in high school (last year and the year before) and this is what we studied:

- Odepius (I think that's how it's spelt...)
- The Wife Of Martin Guerre
- One True Thing
- Pride and Prejudice
- Short stories by Olga Masters
- Poetry by William Blake
- Great Expectations
- Paper Nautilus
- Hamlet
- Macbeth
- Only The Heart
- Maestro

I don't remember after that, that's going back into 2002. What I liked of those:

- One True Thing
- Hamlet

What you read in English and English Literature is not, I think, necessaily what all high school students need to read. I personally think they should read:

- I For Isobel (ironically, this is what the year 12 English students at my school studied THIS year)
- Looking for Alibrandi

I think high school students should be studying something that has something to do with life today.


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## playstation60 (Dec 27, 2004)

My two cents:

The Sword of Truth Series by Terry Goodkind.  There are a few books in the series that kind of drag on, but overall it is a must read.  The first book gives me chills every time I read it. 

Bag of Bones by Stephen King.  It is by far the best book I have ever read by him.  

Jurrasic Park by Michael Criton.  Can be a bit technical at times, but it is definately worth reading.  Same goes for Timeline by him as well.

DEFINATELY read the Harry Potter series, if nothing else than because of the sheer phenominal impact the series has had on literature since it's inception.  If college courses do not touch on the series already, they will be shortly.  Unlike most books required to be read, this is actually something you won't regret too much.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton.  Awesome book, a lot shorter of a book than I would have liked, but very enjoyable. 

There is another one that I can't recall the author or the title of the book.  I had to read it in high school. Really good book too.  Had a lot of symbolism in it.  The author was a perfectionist, didn't release a lot of books, because he never felt it was good enough to go to print.  The stories were based in the 1920s and 30s.  He wrote "The Other side of Paradise" or something like that.  I can't for the life of me remember who he was.  GRRRR!


Ben


P.S.  Like they said before, just read.  Don't worry so much about particular books.  Just enjoy the magic of reading, and the pleasure it brings. 

Death of a Salesman was really good too.  And so was The Crucible.


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## NoWorries (Dec 27, 2004)

I just got done with "The Time Machine" by HG Wells, an exeptionally good book that makes you think a lot.  Very easy to read with great literary and philosical meanings.


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## Rkay (Dec 28, 2004)

playstation60 said:
			
		

> My two cents:
> .......
> The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton.  Awesome book, a lot shorter of a book than I would have liked, but very enjoyable.
> .........
> ...



I quite enjoyed '_The Talisman_' and '_It_' the best of Stephen King's works. They are a bit longish but the flow of the narrative I found easier to follow [more straightforward, less convoluted with literary gymnastics]. 

In my personal opinion, _The Outsiders_ was just about the right length for the story that Susie wrote and the audience/characters she portrayed. Any longer and it may not have been as effective or attractive. I had to read it for a sophomore year book report. The movie version was, well, okay enough. Any shorter and the book would not have given justice or coverage of the storyline. In that sense I tend to agree with Ben.

Ricky


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## Ralizah (Dec 28, 2004)

_Atlas Shrugged_ by Ayn Rand -- People tend to either love it or hate it, as few are partial to it. This is an incredibly indluential and thought-provoking book that is worth a read even if you don't agree with its ideas.

_The Fountainhead_ by Ayn Rand -- Shorter than Atlas, and perhaps a bit easier to dive into: this is a more person, isolated tale. Still, great characters, great plot, ingenious writing style.

_The Stranger_ by Albert Camus -- It's an interesting read that is short and concise.

_Gone With the Wind_ by Margaret Mitchell -- An epic romance set to the backdrop of the civil war.

_The Magus_ by John Fowles -- A thought-provoking psychodrama that's definitely worth a read. Sex, murder, love, and psychology all combine to form one great book.


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## kerpoe (Dec 28, 2004)

Some of the books I've been told to read before I leave High School are:

On The Road-Jack Kerouac (best read in my opinion)
The Jungle-Upton Sinclair
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest-Ken Kesey
LEs Miserables-Victor Hugo
Heart of Darkness-Joseph Conrad
Tale of Two Cities-Charles Dickens
All Quiet On the Western Front-Erich Remarque
Naked Lunch-William Burroughs
Tom Sawyer-Mark Twain
Christmas Carol-Charles Dickens
Electric Kool-aid Acid Test-Tom Wolfe
To Kill a Mockingbird-Harper Lee
The Picture of Dorian Gray-Oscar WIlde
The Murders at Rue Morgue-Edgar Allen Poe
Catcher In The Rye-J.D. Salinger
For Whom The Bell Tolls-Ernest Hemingway
Of Mice and Men-John Steinbeck
Grapes of wrath-John Steinbeck
Old Man-William Faulkner
Uncle Tom's Cabin-harriet Beecher Stowe

that's all I can think of for now!

KERpoe


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## kerpoe (Feb 17, 2005)

Ham said:
			
		

> Sorry I didn't see this sooner (months sooner).  As somebody who has at times had a hand in designing college lit curricula and in evaluating students for placement therein, I've got some very concrete suggestions on this.  Assuming your sincere interest is preparing your mind for the Eng Dept rigor of a GOOD school, you should consider the following:
> 
> 1) If you're going to major in English LITERATURE, then it isn't so much what you've read, as how you've learned to read.  Most HS students are woefully deficient at any aspect of literary understanding beyond simple matters of plot and theme.  You can remedy that with a decent understanding of the material in something like Thomas Foster's _How to Read Literature Like a Professor_.  In one book, you'll be literarily ahead of somebody who's read the whole Western canon without knowing what to look for.
> 
> ...



AMEN, and Nabakov's lectures are beyond amazing


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## chelseafagan (Feb 18, 2005)

Les Miserables. It's a tearjerker but well worth it.


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## kerpoe (Feb 19, 2005)

Yeah I'd agree


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## kerpoe (Feb 19, 2005)

Dickens was hard for me to get through at times, but worth it


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## TheUberManlyMan (Feb 19, 2005)

"The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini is an amazing new book. I recommend it to everybody.


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## white~water (Jun 7, 2005)

Try to mix well between modern books and classics.
As already said the Illiad is a must read.
Equally contrast it with Atwood's work 'The Handmaid's Tale' and 'Oryx and Crake' (by far her best book)
Also try 'Enduring Love' by Ian McEwan
and 'Love of Worker Bee's ' by a femal Russian writer (around time of 1917 revolutions.)

I would also recomend the following plays:
Oscar Wilde 'The Importance of Being Earnest'
Aurther Miller 'The Crucible'
Shakespeare 'Hamlet' & 'Macbeth'
Marlowe 'Dr. Faustus'


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## EmuJenkins (Jun 8, 2005)

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry is the only book that has every brought me to tears since Stone Fox in grade four. This book is so powerful and so wonderful. A definate read for anybody, even those who rarely read. 

Life of Pi by Yann Matel- I'm surprised nobody has suggested this one. It is a part of the high school curriculum in Toronto. One of my top books.

Life After God by Douglas Coupland- My bible...what more can I say.


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## bettyblack (Jul 25, 2005)

I'm a junior in high school and so far, for school, I've read:

The Giver- Louis Lowry
The Mist's of Avalon- Marion Zimmer Bradley
The Sword in the Stone- ?
Cat's Cradle- Kurt Vonnegut
Slaughter House Five- Kurt Vonnegut
1984- George Orwell
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest- Ken Kesey
Invisible Man- Ralph Ellison
Lord of the Flies- William Golding
The Crucible- Arthur Miller
Twelth Night
Macbeth
The Martian Chronicles- Ray Bradbury
Fahrenheit 451- Ray Bradbury


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## ms. vodka (Jul 25, 2005)

Agree with Wilde's Dorian Grey... 

Aldous Huxley's Brave New World Also.

And yes, The Talisman was excellent, but I read that when I was like, 10.  Re-read it at about 29.

I suggest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea.  (who said they didn't like his writing style?  my god... i hope you don't get struck down by lightening...)

If you want to read something trippy, find the essay "The Doors of Perception" by Huxley.  http://www.mescaline.com/huxley.htm

My senior year in high school is when I started reading Keroac and Bukowski... blew my mind...

you know a good person to actually ask this question is your lit teacher.  surprisingly, they are pretty fluent in this subject matter... :wink: 

vodka


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## Mona (Jul 31, 2005)

There is another one that I can't recall the author or the title of the book.  I had to read it in high school. Really good book too.  Had a lot of symbolism in it.  The author was a perfectionist, didn't release a lot of books, because he never felt it was good enough to go to print.  The stories were based in the 1920s and 30s.  He wrote "The Other side of Paradise" or something like that.  I can't for the life of me remember who he was.  GRRRR!


His name is F.Scott Fitzgerald you should read "The Great Gatsby" or "This Side of Paradise"
Also, something by Najib Mahfouz even if it's a short story like "The Happy Man"
Anything by Primo Levi
Some Doulgas Coupland to open your eyes.


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