Name a book that had a big impact on you during your adolescence

[Anonymous]

"The Catcher in the Rye." J.D. Salinger.

I remember reading it because it was assigned reading and I thought to myself, "Oh great...A book written a long time ago that my PARENTS read too...B-O-R-I-N-G!!!", but I actually enjoyed it and related to it's character. For some odd reason, it also seemed refreshingly modern to me too at the time. This was in the late eighties too.

Now when I try to read it, it doesn't interest me in the least.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"The Catcher in the Rye." J.D. Salinger.

I remember reading it because it was assigned reading and I thought to myself, "Oh great...A book written a long time ago that my PARENTS read too...B-O-R-I-N-G!!!", but I actually enjoyed it and related to it's character. For some odd reason, it also seemed refreshingly modern to me too at the time. This was in the late eighties too.

Now when I try to read it, it doesn't interest me in the least.

I agree! And I don't think the other PPs read OPs post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Les Miserables totally informed my sense of social justice, which is an important part of my life and who I am.

I think I would still be as moved now, though, as I was then.

Long before the musical, back in the '70s when Frye Boots were popular the first time around and disco was king, my entire 9th-grade English -- the good girls, the jocks, the brains, the wasted, the theater geeks, the mean girls, the AV guys, the stoner artists -- all of us -- were completely riveted by Les Miserables. The message I took from it was that refusing to grant forgiveness hurts the hard-hearted more than the transgressor.

My oldest son, a recent college graduate, was riveted by Gatsby in 11th-grade American Literature. When he told us that he was turning down a job at an investment bank to teach middle school in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the US, he mentioned Gatsby. BTW, he majored in applied math. Anybody who says the humanities are dead is very much mistaken.

PP here. Thanks for posting this. So interesting that the book was riveting to such diverse groups of students. I wonder if that would be likely or even possible these days. Your son sounds awesome!

[Anonymous]

The Giver
Education of Little Tree

[Anonymous]

The Chocolate War

[Anonymous]

Rule of the Bone

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Aesop's Fables

Great one. We have a pop up version of a few famous ones, dd loves it.

[Anonymous]

Are you there God, it's me Margaret

Deenie

Tiger Eyes

Taking Sides (Norma klien)

It's okay if you don't love me

Sunshine

Popularity plan (shallow, but fun)

Fear of flying

Prince of tides

Cry thee beloved country

Kaffir boy

Lolita

Their eyes were watching God

[Anonymous]

The Birth of Tragedy (Nietzsche)

[Anonymous]

Peppermints in the Parlor. I did reread it as an adult. Not as impressive (it was really a YA novel), but I could totally see why I loved it so much as a kid.

[Anonymous]

Lynda Barry comics

[Anonymous]

Oh, and Lynda Barry comics and her book "Cruddy" still impress me no end today. (Although I was way out of adolescence when Cruddy came out).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A Separate Peace and *sigh* Catcher in the Rye *cringe*

Me too! (Except for the cringing part)

Can there really be 3 of us?

[Anonymous]

Long before the musical, back in the '70s when Frye Boots were popular the first time around and disco was king, my entire 9th-grade English -- the good girls, the jocks, the brains, the wasted, the theater geeks, the mean girls, the AV guys, the stoner artists -- all of us -- were completely riveted by Les Miserables. The message I took from it was that refusing to grant forgiveness hurts the hard-hearted more than the transgressor.

Ahh, I loved those days.

I don't know about big impact, but in 7th & 8th grade what everyone was riveted by was JRR Tolkien. By 9th grade it was Vonnegut, and the Dune series.
Your 9th grade sounds more advanced than mine.

Man, I loved my Frye boots.

[Anonymous]

Diary of Anne Frank
Romeo and Juliet

(not exactly in the same genre)