What did you read at school?

[~V~]

i was a bit of an odd reader when i was young. when we were eight we were asked to write about a book we had read. most people chose enid or the like, i chose 'animal farm' *rolls eyes*. a couple of years later, we had a similar project, this time about a charactr in a book, i then chose 'mein kampf'. i fear i got worse!

 

however, for o'Level (say it quick and it doesn't hurt) we did wuthering heights, twelfth night and a book of wartime poetry (stephen spender, w h auden, et al)

 

my hatred for all things tolkein also originated at school when our form teacher insisted on reading from LOTR to us every morning. not only did i hate the book, but i hate being read to. (probably why i read so early)

[Janet]

however, for o'Level (say it quick and it doesn't hurt)...

For CSE (you're right!) we did Animal Farm, The Day of the Triffids and a book of poems called Every Man Must Shout. We did something else too, but I'm blowed if I can remember what it was!

 

For GCSE last year, we did Othello and Of Mice and Men, oh, and poems from other cultures.

 

For AS Level this year we're doing Richard III, Wise Children by Angela Carter, A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde and for poetry, The World's Wife by Carol Ann Duffy.

[kernow_reader]

my hatred for all things tolkein also originated at school when our form teacher insisted on reading from LOTR to us every morning.

 

I thought I stood alone in this. Anyone else dislike Tolkein's works:an8: ?

[~V~]

I thought I stood alone in this. Anyone else dislike Tolkein's works:an8: ?

 

i thought i was alone for many years. until the films came out and the amount of people who, like me, think of it as 'goblinshite' is huuuuge. believe me

 

(and please forgive the naughty words, there's no substitute in this case)

[Kell]

I thought I stood alone in this. Anyone else dislike Tolkein's works:an8: ?

Nope, I find Tolkien impossible to read - I refuse to wade through 16 pages describing a field before having another hobbit song & only THEN getting 5 minutes of action - it's just not on! I love the stories & I loved the films, but the books were just far too dull for me to continue. I couldn't even read The Hobbit - I got 3 chapters in & threw it across the room - & this was in preparation for a theatre production of it - LOL!

 

I remember reading a play in school called Unwin, Wittering & Zigo. I can't remember who it was by, but it was about a bunch of pupils (I think it was an all-boys school) who have a new teacher to replace the one who misteriously died recently. If I remember correctly, it transpires that the lads pushed him off a cliff or something like that. Of course, I may be misremembering that, or I may have dreamed it, in which case, I may write it mmyself!

[Michelle]

Whereas, we read The Hobbit at school.. and I loved it. I also enjoyed it when I re-read it not long ago. LOTR, however, I gave up half way through book 2.

[Weave]

At school we read Kes, Elidor, Death of a salesman.

 

We also read the Joan Lingard series of books:

 

The Twelve Day of July

Across the Barricades

Into exile

A proper place

 

At school we read the first two and I read the rest of the series myself, I am pretty sure there is another one but I have forgetten the title.

 

[poppy]

The ones i can remember

 

Lord of the Flies

Day of the Triffids

Grapes of Wrath

Black Like Me

1984

Animal Farm

MacBeth

Romeo and Juliet

Brave New World

 

I was one of those weird kids who loved all our set books - reading for homework ..... sheer bliss:D

 

There was one book I'd like to read again that I've forgotten the name of. It was set in King Arthurs time, pretty sure it had the Excalibur in it but in contained a lot of anachronisms. Think it contained the word Stone in the title. Any ideas?

[~V~]

I remember reading a play in school called Unwin, Wittering & Zigo. I can't remember who it was by, but it was about a bunch of pupils (I think it was an all-boys school) who have a new teacher to replace the one who misteriously died recently. If I remember correctly, it transpires that the lads pushed him off a cliff or something like that. Of course, I may be misremembering that, or I may have dreamed it, in which case, I may write it mmyself!

 

 

thank you thank you thank you

 

i saw this as a film years ago and could never remember the title. i knew there was somebody with a Z in their name and that it was the last few names in the register but beyond that .....

 

so a big thanks (again) from me

[Michelle]

I was one of those weird kids who loved all our set books - reading for homework ..... sheer bliss:D

 

I imagine quite a few of us were like that!

[Liz]

I always love the homework that's reading. It hardly feels like work!

[Sugar]

Have I not replied to this? I'm losing my mind!!!

 

I remember reading (this includes up to A Level Eng Lit):

Macbeth

Romeo and Juliet

Othello

Anthony and Cleopatra

Merchant of Venice

As You Like It

 

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry - Mildred Taylor (author?)

The Red Pony - John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath

Mill on the Floss - George Elliot

Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

 

And as an extra reassurance - I find Tolkein unreadable too!

 

I'm sure there was a lot more, although I also remember many collections of poetry (Ted Hughes, John Clare, Michael Rosen) and "Comprehension" exercises (Hemingway, and Doris Lessing seemed to be favourites for this!).

[Angel]

At school we read Kes, Elidor, Death of a salesman.

 

We also read the Joan Lingard series of books:

 

The Twelve Day of July

Across the Barricades

Into exile

A proper place

 

At school we read the first two and I read the rest of the series myself, I am pretty sure there is another one but I have forgetten the title.

 

 

I enjoyed Kes, but I do remember Across the Barricades, this one was about the Northern Ireland troubles if I remember correctly. I've been racking my brains for the correct title 'cos I wanted to include it in my school list!!

[Purple Poppy]

Ditto to Sugar's last post with the addition of Silas Marner, which I really liked. I remember reading A tale of two Cities as a set book and finding it very heavy going. Should really have another go.

 

PP:006:

[Weave]

I enjoyed Kes, but I do remember Across the Barricades, this one was about the Northern Ireland troubles if I remember correctly. I've been racking my brains for the correct title 'cos I wanted to include it in my school list!!

 

Hello,

 

That is the only titles I remember from the series, and yes there were about the troubles in Northern Ireland.

[Icecream]

The book we all hated, and persuaded our teacher to drop was 'An Inspector Calls'.

 

I love this play because we studied in school. I really want to go and see a production of it. It is good when you look at the deeper reasons behind it.

[Janet]

Oooh yes, I remember reading Across the Barricades too. Possibly in my last year of primary school!

[Icecream]

Yes i remember that too!!

[Sarahrob]

Ooh yes, Across the Barricades and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Very popular choices in primary school.

I remember reading How Green You Are when I was in primary school. I had a lovely teacher who saw that I had read every single book in the school library and so started bringing books in from home for me. I had read the Hobbit and loved it (though if I'm honest Farmer Giles of Ham was at the back and that was the part I loved), so she brought in the Lord of the Rings and helped me through bits I didn't understand.

 

The books I hated at GCSE were The Country Girls by Edna O'Brien and Spring and Port Wine (can't remember who wrote it and I'm too lazy to look it up). A whole play about Hilda not eating her kippers? Just feed them to the blinking cat and move on...

 

At AS level we had a bit of a feminist tutor so studied Top Girls as our drama piece. Fascinating play.

[Maureen]

Does anyone remember the "Peter and Jane and PAt the dog " books?

[Janet]

Does anyone remember the "Peter and Jane and PAt the dog " books?

I do - in fact, I thought I'd mentioned them in here, but I must have meant to and then got sidetracked!

 

I'd never heard of Janet and John, although maybe I'd have liked them more as we shared a name!

[Michelle]

I can't remember which version we had.. although Pat the dog sounds familiar.

[Sarahrob]

Not only did I not have Peter and Jane, I didn't have Janet and John either (deprived child).

 

I had Roger Red Hat, Billy Blue Hat and the village with three corners.

[Purple Poppy]

Maureen said;

 

Does anyone remember the "Peter and Jane and PAt the dog " books?

 

Yes. I learnt with Janet and John. They were so stilted! But they did the trick. Has anyone been listening to Terry Wogans show in the morning? They have a slot for Janet and John where they do their own versions of a Janet and John story. The ones I've heard were hilarious. I don't listen to TW, but my other half played it back to me on the computer.

 

[Kell]

Does anyone remember the "Peter and Jane and PAt the dog " books?

Yup, these were the ones I was given once I got to school & I was mortified because I was already way past that reading level. The next level up was Bangers & Mash (two chimps who only wanted to have some fun but who were always in trouble) but I was past them too. Actually, when my sister got to that reading age, Bangers & Mash got their own cartoon on the telly with a theme tune done by Chaz & Dave!