Like any genre I’ve liked some classics and haven’t liked others. Here are ones I have liked!
This is the only book I remember reading for school that I actually liked. It made me cry and I felt for the characters. They felt real and relatable. I reread it once so far as an adult and still loved it.
Talks about racism, sexism, love. Real. Beautiful. Heart-breaking. I’ve read it 3 times. And I didn’t realize it’s the first in a series so i’m going to have to reread it and continue the series at some point.
Yes, I know, it’s about an appalling topic. You aren’t supposed to like Humbert. It’s beautifully written about an awful topic and it even says at the end you aren’t supposed to fall for Humbert. It’s an interesting book with how it’s written.
When I first started reading this I was very confused and was like “this makes no sense!”. Once I realized that’s the point and turned my brain off, I had fun with it.
An interesting and gothic tale. I still have to read The Haunting of Hill House, I know, I suck.
The shoes are silver. Also, this is much darker than the movie!
Tugged at my heart and made me cry (at 30 years old). Charlotte is best spider.
Sad. Made me cry. Do not think it’s a children’s book despite it saying it is, like holy fuck. There is some kindness in it too.
Gothic romantic suspense.
There is also a character who appears to have down syndrome. I say that because he is described but I googled it, the name down syndrome did not exist when this book was written. I want to bring this up only because the way he was described/talked about in some cases, if written today, would be offensive, but looking up what was known at the time this book was published, it seems like it was handled as best as it could be for the time (tis why knowing history can be important).
And there is stuff that happens later in the book (I won’t spoil anything) that made me go “Fuck yes!!” when it was brought up. Stuff I didn’t expect to get mentioned more, was, and it made me so happy. The characters (well except one asshole, but he’s an asshole) treated him, Ben, very nicely. And I loved that it showed his fear of being sent to the asylum (which makes even more sense when you read it), that the asylum isn’t a nice place, and that no one was going to send him anywhere.
Haunting, beautiful and sad at the same time.
That was fun. I enjoyed it. Not completely sure why. Definitely didn’t age well in all respects (which is to be expected), a bit disjointed and overly moralistic (and not as nuanced as I usually prefer but it’s old and a children’s classic), with a few things that don’t make sense but I still found it a fun tale that got me thinking a little bit but mostly just fun. Pinocchio can be such a pain, but he learns and he has a heart. I want to tell him “you always were a real boy, just before you were a marionette boy and now, you’re a human boy”.
Much darker than expected too!
If you know me you know i’m usually a Grinch. Why do I enjoy this classic? Honestly, I don’t know. I had fun with it.
A very important and heart-breaking book.
My favorite! Where to even begin? The creature is abandoned by his creator, his father, Victor, who runs away from him in horror. The creature has a heart, he just wants a friend. He tries to make friends but everyone is shallow and runs from him in horror based on his looks, so of course after awhile, it gets to him, as it would anyone. Nothing like the original movie portrayal! Victor is the real monster.
And no, i’m not saying what he ends up doing is ok, but you can understand his feelings and where he’s coming from. He’s sympathetic and I wanna be his friend before all hell breaks lose. Show him that there are some people that aren’t shallow assholes.
I said what I said.
Also, the creature is relatable to me, being disabled and having deformities. Obviously not as bad as the creature and I know it could be worse but I could still put myself in his shoes. There are deformed people in real life that get that treatment, sadly this book and that message is still relevant. He’s an outcast who just wants some companionship. That shouldn’t be too much to ask.
Heart-wrenching and important.
Terrifying and realistic. Supposed to be a warning, not an instruction manual!
Just a fairy-tale fantasy that I enjoy.
Again. Supposed to be warning, not a friggin instruction manual!
Have I watched any of the movies or anything? Nope. I need to do that at some point. Brings up some interesting questions about ethics and is thought-provoking.
An important autobiography.
Literary Stoner 