There are a lot of high school books you were supposed to read that you probably didn’t. We’ve all been there. Who has the time? And aren’t old books stuffy and boring? Sometimes. But others are great! So here are, in my opinion, some of the most popular high school reads and whether they’re worth reading. Obviously, this is pretty opinionated, so if you disagree, let me know!
1. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley – Often considered the first great science fiction novel, this one is on the read list for sure. It’s a classic tale of experimentation gone wrong when Doctor Victor Frankenstein manages to bring a collection of dead body parts back to life. Shocked and horrified with his creation, the doctor casts out the monster, but it’s a decision that will come to haunt him. Important questions raised by the book include who is the real monster, and why did Victor ever think this could end well? Read the book to find out! (Plus, Mary Shelley was super cool. She came up with the idea for Frankenstein because of a ghost story contest, her mother was an early feminist, and supposedly carried around her dead husband’s heart for years. The original goth.)
2. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger – Please don’t do it. Unless you’re really into J.D. Salinger, who was a crotchety old man uninterested in meeting his fans, or want to read 250 pages of aimless teen angst, you can skip Catcher. While some people love it and really connect with narrator Holden Caulfield, others find the book to generally be pretentious and whiney. I’m in the second camp, and think The Catcher in the Rye is not exactly deserving of its enormous popularity in American high schools. He wanders around, is sad about his dead brother, tries to befriend prostitutes. Hard pass.
3. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde – Okay, this one is hard, but worth it. Wilde’s writing can be a lot to slog through, but this story is so good! A beautiful young man accidentally sells himself to the devil with a wish that his portrait would age while he remained ever youthful and handsome. Lo and behold, that’s exactly what happens and the painting begins not only to age, but also show the signs of Dorian’s moral decay. Scandalous at the time of its publication, Wilde’s tale of Dorian Gray’s descent into immorality and madness is fascinating. The language is tough, but 10/10 worth it.
4. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain – “Huck Finn” is the classic American novel. Which makes it important. But it’s kind of meh? On one hand, it’s the epitome of the American coming-of-age story, one boy’s wild and free trip down the Mississippi River. But also, there’s a ton of racism? And yes, as something written in 1876 America, sadly, that’s hardly surprising. But it’s so painful to read. Some people find Twain’s boyhood imaginings, his southern-country dialect, and impossible scenarios to be charming and hilarious. Others, like myself, find it kind of annoying and difficult to read. Conclusion: important, but dated.
5. Dracula by Bram Stoker – So Dracula is, at times, a little absurd. Jonathan Harker, at one point, sees the Count literally climb up a sheer castle wall, and the vampire’s list of powers gets ridiculously long. But this novel is a lot of fun. It’s one of the only classics that I’ve read told through journal entries, letters, and newspaper articles instead of just regular prose. It’s also super interesting to see where so many of the vampiric origin myths come from (though actually, Carmilla, by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, came first). If you’re interested in vampires at all, this is a must-read.
Check in next week for a few more high school reads!