[Tax-chick]

LOL! I've read a lot of classic literature in my 30's, so I might like Hawthorne now. I don't understand why anyone would think these books would interest 13-year-olds; they certainly weren't the author's intended audience!

[Kozy]

I read it in junior year in high school as we explore American literature. I went to a Jesuit HS that taught the humanities and liberal arts. We explored the writings, the authors and the times that they were written. The novels and poems were placed in their time to analyze. Yes as a 16 year old I could enjoy great literature and helped me look beyond the words as to what the author was saying. You could not and will not get this type of instruction in public schools, then or now.