<p>We were given an English in-depth novel/play assignment. Basically, it's a collage of different activities (mostly analytical writing) for the purpose of allowing us to know the book intimately. </p>
<p>I want to choose a book that I will honestly enjoy because I would miserable otherwise. My teacher gave us a reading list and I went through most of the synopses, none of which really struck my fancy. Fortunately, we are allowed to choose an outside book of literary merit (given that she approves). </p>
<p>So I'm really open for suggestions. I'll list the novels that she suggested (so far I'm only really considering The Importance of Being Earnest).</p>
<p>The Importance of Being Earnest
My Antonia
Babbitt
The Optimist's Daughter
The Great Gatsby
The Grapes of Wrath
Obasan
One Hundred Years of Solitude
The Stranger</p>
<p>Those are just a couple. I cannot read the following because I've already read them: Lord of the Flies, Brave New World, Frankenstein, Hamlet.</p>
<p>I want to hear what books you all really loved (granted that it has literary merit).</p>
<p>Hm. I heard that The Great Gatsby was really depressing, but I have not read the book myself, so I cannot say that for sure. You might want to check out the thread on the books that suck, but just keep in mind that it is biased.</p>
<p>We read The Importance of Being Earnest freshman year. It's the most nonsensical aesthetically pleasing novel you'll ever read, in my opinion. The mere fact that it's not about anything and that there's no "deeper meaning" to it makes it all the more comical. I found myself actually analyzing it a few times but to analyze it too far would destroy the point of the play.</p>
<p>The Great Gatsby isn't a tough read and its one of the few required books I've actually enjoyed to read. I appreciate them all, but the experience sometimes isn't fun ;)</p>
<p>Yeah, the Stranger and the Great Gatsby are absolutely amazing. </p>
<p>The Grapes of Wrath was awesome, too. However, it's a lot longer than the above mentioned (especially The Stranger, which is like...an afternoon read.) It also starts off slow (The Grapes of Wrath) but near the end...
Of Mice and Men is good...</p>
<p>One Hundred Years of Solitude, I enjoyed. Do you like magical realism? I know a lot of people don't, so...it might be an acquired taste (I didn't like Chronicles of a Death Foretold, but I loved this one...) </p>
<p>They're all so different! </p>
<p>So, you can read plays? All My Sons, the Crucible...okay, anything by Arthur Miller...</p>
<p>I've only read completely:
The Great Gatsby - I liked this.. you could get into it.
The Stranger - I don't like how the translation was supposed to be geared towards American understanding. It would probably be 100x better to read in French.</p>
<p>Things I hear good reviews about:
The Grapes of Wrath
The Importance of Being Earnest
One Hundred Years of Solitude</p>
<p>I loved the Great Gatsby. It has a lot of meaning in it. The Importance of Being Ernest is another fave of mine. I'm actually going to see it performed next month. Of Mice and Men was a good book also. Another good one to consider is fahrenheit 451. I couldn't put that book down.</p>
<p>Don't ever read My Antonia. It sucks, it's boring, and it has no point. I would say to pick up Their Eyes Were Watching God. I know it got turned into a Halle Berry movie, and I know that it's endorsed by Oprah, but it's actually also a really good book. I would suggest Great Expectations, but that is way too slow. Another good idea for a book might be Heart of Darkness - slow but short.</p>
<p>Read The Great Gatasby - it is pretty interesting, not slow or difficult, and one of those "must read" books. </p>
<p>I've read My Antonia and, while it is not for everyone, I loved it. It is not fast paced, but I still remember how sweet the ending was and it just gives you that feeling... yea.</p>
<p>I read the The Great Gatsby in a day (because we took a quiz on it to see if we did; I didn't read it), so I read it to catch up. Maybe that's why I didnt like it as much. I liked the discussions we had in class about it though.</p>
<p>i have read great gatsby (sophomore year) and the importance of being earnest (junior year), and i think you would be fine with either of those, neither is very difficult reading and both are interesting stories...the importance of being earnest is EXTREMELY funny!</p>
<p>other than that, my favorite independent novels this year were:</p>
<p>*Slaughterhouse five (its has an interesting structure, almost like flashbacks, and is a good story)
*Brave New World (high tech futuristic novel, good plot)
...and i am currently in the middle of 1984 and i am REALLY enjoying it, it is interesting and not a difficult read</p>