I took a break from my normal sci-fi / fantasy reading and read a couple of books I last opened in high school; The Great Gatsby and The Heart of Darkness. I feel a bit lowly almost dirty say this, but I really did not enjoy these books at all.

Maybe I am too far removed from the setting in which they are written, or that writing style, but I found each book to be almost pretentious. I know they each tell more than simply the story that is written on the pages, but I could just not find much enjoyment out of trying to decipher the “code”. I recall being in lit. class and being frustrated at having to read something and then trying to analyze what I read and come to the “right” conclusion (or at least the one the teacher had).

I am a simple person and when it comes to most stories, I listen, watch, read them for enjoyment not to decipher some code and be enlightened. If there is some moral / lesson, or some sort insight gained in the normal course of the story, then great, but do not make me read through your crazy soap opera of a lovers triangle in order picking out symbols and ciphers all to piece together your “lesson”.

To be honest I have a grudge against Lit. Instructors and probably “literature” as a class in general. Teach me to read, teach me to write, expose me to authors and stories I might not have known. But please do not tell me what meaning I should take from a story. Do not put thoughts in my head, or words in my mouth. Whew, ok I am done.

Crazy part is I do have plans to go back and read a few more high school/college lit. class reading list books, I am not going to give up on all of them simply because I did not like these two.