23 Books You Didn't Read In High School But Actually Should

BuzzFeed ^ | July 5, 2013 | Spencer Althouse

[EveningStar]

You probably SparkNoted these books before, but now's your chance to read them.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand ought to be required reading for every high school student.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Teachers have a hard time getting many students to read one book, much less 23.

[Resettozero]

On second thought, perhaps I should be the one to read those again. My politics were in line with Steinbeck’s back then. Things have changed.

[dead]

23 Books You Didn't Read In High School

I don't get the title - it's basically a standard high school reading list. I read the majority of them.

[Texan5]

I’ve read most of them, some were impossible for me to relate to in any way, others I liked and read twice and more-like “1984”, “Lord of the Flies”, “Slaughterhouse Five”.

I have to say that “Atlas Shrugged”, “The Illustrated Man” and “Something Wicked This Way Comes”, “Farenheit 451” need to be on the list-maybe also “The Fountainhead”.

I’ll also nominate Ira Levin’s “This Perfect Day”-a 1984-like novel, only more relevant to these times and-to me at least-more hair-raising. I’m reading it again right now, and have turned all my friends on to it...

[Scutter]

I read most of those in high school. I wonder what students today are reading instead if not those classics?

[relictele]

self correction: salesman predated the blacklists but Miller was a leftie through and through.

[workerbee]

Not sure why Catcher in the Rye gets such a bad rap; I remember liking it better than a lot of things I had to read. I'll have to re-read it and see if my opinion's changed. Best one on this list is Animal Farm.

[dfwgator]

I read Slaughterhouse Five (& other Vonnegut novels) in high school

"... and *another* thing, Vonnegut! I'm gonna stop payment on the check!"

[BuckeyeTexan]

Sister Mary Katherine is most displeased. You will read them all again. ;p

[GeronL]

Europe is living 1984, ours is more like Brave New World

[relictele]

I fear than Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou loom large on many reading lists.

Poor kids.

[napscoordinator]

Ok. I read Animal Farm...liked it. The Great Gatsby was ok. Beowulf absolutely hated it. And I did read Lord of the Flies it was ok.

[Patton@Bastogne]

48 Laws of Power ... especially for your kids and grandchildren .....

[Pontiac]

Everyone in this novel is pretty messed up, and that’s refreshing. Also, James Franco is releasing a film adaption of the book, so you have to read it before that comes out, too.

Not me.

I am very rarely pleased by a film adaptation.

I would much rather see the movie first. That way I can enjoy both.

[The Great RJ]

I have read about half of these books and am just starting to read Brave New World. George Orwell's two books, 1984 and Animal Farm are absolute essentials to understanding what is happening to our country.

[GeronL]

messed up people is “refreshing”??

[napscoordinator]

It was “Enriched” when I was in school......Me too!

[SeaHawkFan]

The Orwell books are good, and maybe a few others.

Would like to see:

1. The Bible
2. The Road to Serfdom
3. Free to Choose
4. Screwtape Letters
5. Chronicles of Narnia

I’m sure there are others.

[wagglebee]

I would also add "Crime and Punishment" by Dostoevsky, "Pride and Prejudice" by Austen and "Huckleberry Finn."