What are your not-so-favorite classics?
Fuse#8 asks:
What are the "classic" titles you've never much taken to? I was an adult before "Where the Wild Things Are" elicited any kind of a loving response. Were there books you knew of as a kid that just didn't do anything for you, in spite of your fellow preschool brethern's adoration?
Of course, me being me, I immediately answered the first question without reading the following one. And, heck. I can't think of any books that I DIDN'T really like as a kid -- if it had pages and pictures, I was pretty much there.
But as an adult... Hmmm. Children's classics that I DON'T LIKE:
The Little Prince. Granted, my very, very, very strong dislike has very little to do with the book itself and much more to do with the drunken college freshmen who slobbered all over each other in the Chapter Book Room while using the book in an attempt to show off their extremely impaired (and probably limited) intellect before going home and having grody Harvard monkey sex in front of their long-suffering roommates. I'd squish him, just for that. And I know that I've probably ranted about that before, but be forewarned -- I'm bound to do it again.
Love You Forever. Ewww and ewww again. Freaks me out every time. Another one the drunk kids went for.
The Giving Tree. Um, yeah. Or, no. They loved this one, too. I'm sensing a pattern here.
Berenstain Bears. Never did it for me, even as a kid -- have you ever noticed how damn long they are? And preachy? Yeech. Except for The Spooky Old Tree. I liked that one.
Oh, The Places You'll Go. Piece of advice: If you're planning on giving this book to someone for ANY sort of graduation, DON'T. I promise you, they will receive at least four other copies of it from other people. And if you must, don't inscribe it. That way, when they get the OTHER three inscribed copies, they won't be stuck with yet another.
Well. Sorry, Fuse. That kind of went in a different direction.