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I read Lolita in high school I believe (or early college). With my history, it was NOT a good choice. It was twisted and Nabakov didn't have a clue of how a young female mind worked (the jerk).

I think the 'great tragedy is uplifting' is a matter of taste and personal makeup. For me, reading a tragedy makes me angry at wasting that chunk of time and being made sad when I wasn't before. Maybe some folks don't have enough misery or exposure to suffering so they need to find it in books.

I do, have and continue to do, so books are my relief from reality.

Some folks are just more sensitive I guess. Again, I find that the realm of what is labeled 'great' literature is pretty much a one size fits all attitude and it ain't my size. But if I say so, its a case of the Emperor's New Clothes. "What! Why didn't you like _________!" Saying it was a bore, too sad, I hated the characters, I wanted the damn thing to be over just makes folks look at me.....well, puzzled.

Even worse, is when I say "It didn't give me what I wanted, it left me unsatisfied. All this writing and time was spent on Y when I really wanted to know more about X! And Z!"

So, I just sit there saying "I like trash! I read it and I may even write a bit from time to time.... Thank you very much! And those authors and publishing houses will get my pennies until the day I die!"

And Moby Dick...the whole whale harpooning thing just made me cringe. I was rooting for Moby (wish he'd bitten off more of Ahab to begin with and we wouldn't have had to endure the book).