Wyz_sub10

Okay, I've been meaning to start this thread for some time now.

There are things in this world regarded as genius by a great many experts in the respective field.

Now, some works of genius I can understand (if only on some level) - Beethoven's 9th, Wells' "Citizen Kane", Shakespeare's "Macbeth", etc.

But there are some heralded ""works of genius" (or to put it more mildly, "classics") that I simply do not "get".

This isn't a thread to critic what I fail to find genius-like. Rather, it's an inventory, of sorts, to see what befuddles others in the world of the "classics".

I'll start...

I fail to see the genius of Geroge Orwell. "1984" is required reading in so many high schools, and "Animal Farm" is another highly-touted piece. I read both of these when I was younger, and re-visited them later.

My opinions haven't changed much - paranoid, over-the-top, reactionary crap. You may disagree, of course, but as I said, it's a personal thing.

Secular Elation

I haven't read Animal Farm but 1984 was unquestionably the best book I was forced to read in high school. A convincing telling of an imagined future totalitarian state, and the ending was a real downer (in a good way).

Megatron

The Scarlet Letter.
I thought it was fucking awful, to be honest. It completely failed to give me a reason to give a shit about the characters or anything that happened to them.

I must have missed something important... either that or it's just terribly overrated.

August Spies

Animal Farm was silly and too obvious in my book. But 1984 is genius.

Hell, how can you not understand the genius of concepts like doublespeak, especially in the world we live in today?

Secular Elation

Just reading a story synopsis of The Scarlett Letter made me cringe. I didn't have to read it, but some other people I know did, and they truly hated it.

I might catch flak here--but I didn't like The Grapes of Wrath. The most boring book I have ever read.

KathyG

Madame Bovary. I just couldn't stop thinking "this woman is an idiot."

K

knuckles644

Ditto. Great book.

I also thought Frakenstein was wayyyy ahead of its time. :notworthy

Wyz_sub10

Okay, didn't I say that this wasn't a thread to critique what I didn't find genius-like?

I just want to know what "genius" other people find mundane.

Sheesh.

infinity

i thought the thomas covenant, unbeliever series was one of the most annoying and drawn out whine-fests i've ever read. though, it is quite often hailed as one of the greatest fiction series of all time.
the lead charecter was horrendous - annoying, whiney, cowardly, a complete cry baby... the plot devices were such overly blatent LoTR knock offs it's ridiculous, and the 'item of power' plot device was simply staggering idiotic.
it's only saving grace was a relatively interesting enviornment in which the story took place, and the side charecters being interesting enough to pick up the slack for the god awful lead. the highlight of that series was the end when thomas covenant dies =P

trunks2k

I thought "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austin to be the most boring book I have ever read in my entire life. I read through the book once, falling asleep every few pages. When it came time for the test, I went out and bought the Cliff notes for the book to hopefully give me some more insight to the book, I even fell asleep reading that! I really just don't see why this book is supposed to be so great.