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Reading the 'Classics'

4 years ago

I was interested in Donna's comment in the September reading thread that she had never read anything by Jane Austen.

Here in England virtually every school-pupil would have been made to read at least something by JA and/or one of the Bronté's and maybe Dickens. A 'set book' was required reading in each year of English class at Secondary school, plus a Shakespeare play and a selection of poetry.

These choices, often based on what was available in the English department's 'cupboard' or what was on the syllabus of the examination board either gave students a love of quality books and reading . . . or put them off for life.

I wonder did your experience of required reading give you a love of classic literature, or had the opposite effect?

nb I remember someone at RP saying they all had to read 'Gone With the Wind' at school which would not have counted as either 'classic' or 'literature' over here.

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