2nd Time Round

I blame all of this on the Moody Blues. Since my love for them was renewed I've been interested in hearing some different things. I've renewed my love for musical theatre and for more ethereal sounding music.

So in the midst of all this renewed love, I discovered my love for the musical Les Miserables. I listened to that musical yesterday and I was reminded of a promise I made myself after I had seen the musical many years ago. That promise was to reread the novel that inspired it.

I, like many teenagers, was forced to read this book for my Advanced English class...can't remember if it was my sophomore or junior year. I had to read it over the summer too. (Will the cruelty never stop?)

The book was in that obnoxious 2 column form, that many text books are written in. It's completely unnatural to read something that way. So needless to say, I never really did. (At least not in a way that I could appreciate the story)

Seeing the musical did make me remember the parts of the story that were stuck in my brain, and made me want to give the book another try. Hence the promise was made.

It's taken 10 years for me to work on that promise. I'm now officially reading Les Miserables. It's a good book. I really think that the education system should focus more on getting teenagers to read...rather than forcing them into reading something that they won't be able to grasp (or want to grasp)

I'm not saying literature be abandoned, but I really think that the novels they chose to foist upon the students should be something that should be enjoyable to read.

Some books and plays that still make me cringe.....

Ethan Frome
An Enemy of the People (We called it An Enema of the People)
All's Quiet on the Western Front
Julius Ceasar
Moby Dick (God I hate that freaking whale)

I'm sure there were a few more plays too, but these were the ones that caused me the most trauma.

So Les Miz, I'm giving you a second chance...maybe a nearly 30 year old mind will appreciate you now.