Rereading Books I Read in School

When I was in school, I had to read specific books as part of the curriculum. I often did not enjoy these books because I was forced to discuss the themes and symbolism. I also remember having to write papers on them. However, as an adult, I thought it would be fun rereading some of these books I read in school and see what I think of them now.

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Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451 follows Guy Montag, who is a fireman. However, firefighters have a new purpose—instead of putting out fires, they burn books. Guy then meets an eccentric neighbor, which leads him to question everything he knows.

From reading Fahrenheit 451 in school, I only remembered that the main character was a firefighter. However, he burned books instead of putting out fires. I could not recall any other story elements or how the book ended. Now rereading the book, I found the plot intriguing, especially since it is set in a dystopian world where books are banned and TVs are in. Guy’s wife Mildred even spends her days watching TV and considers the characters in the shows family. As far as the ending, I did find it a bit of a letdown and not what I expected. Fahrenheit 451 is not the best classic book, but it is worth a read.

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The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby follows the perspective of Nick Carraway as he interacts with Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire who is in love with Nick’s cousin Daisy. From school, I remember that Gatsby held lavish parties. Also, I remember the green blinking light on the dock. I likely had to discuss the symbolism of the green light when I was in school, and it stuck.

I know a lot of people love The Great Gatsby, while others hate the book. However, I think it is just fine. I did not care that much about the plot since a large focus is on Gatsby and his love for Daisy, but she is already married. Also, I did not really care for the characters because they are all unlikable to some extent. Overall, The Great Gatsby is just okay to me, but I did like being able to reread it.

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Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Lord of the Flies follows a group of schoolboys who become stranded on an island after a plane crash. There is no adult supervision, and the boys can do anything they want.

Before I reread Lord of the Flies, I only remembered that the boys were stranded and things went wrong. However, I could not remember any of the specific characters or details of the plot. At first, the boys find order and try to find a way off the island and keep a signal fire going. However, as time goes on, the order breaks down. I felt bad for Piggy because he seemed to be the only rational one who wanted to keep the fire going so they could be rescued. The other boys under Jack’s leadership just wanted to have fun and hunt.

There are graphic and shocking scenes I did not expect or remember. Therefore, do keep that in mind if you have not read the book before and you would like to. Besides that, I did find some parts of the book overly repetitive, but I do think Lord of the Flies is a good book.

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The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

The Outsiders was another book I read when I was in school. The book follows Ponyboy and his brothers and friends, who are Greasers. There is conflict between the Greasers and Socs, and one night things go too far and Ponyboy’s world is turned upside down.

Out of these books, I feel like I remembered the least about The Outsiders, as I could only recall there being two separate groups of teens that fought. I do not remember anything else that happened in the book, but I did enjoy rereading it. I do think Ponyboy is relatable to teens who feel like they do not belong, but as an adult reading The Outsiders, I did not really connect to the characters or the plot. The Outsiders is a fine book, but it is not one I want to reread again.

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The Giver by Lois Lowry

The last book I reread was The Giver. The Giver follows 12-year-old Jonas, who is singled out to receive special training from The Giver, the only person who holds the memories of life.

Before rereading The Giver, I could remember a boy who could see colors, and he was chosen for a special job. I did not remember the book being so dystopian. Within society, sameness is the ideal. At each age, all kids receive the same item, such as a front-button jacket at age 7, a bike at age 9, and at age 12, they are assigned to a job and begin training. Each family unit consists of spouses who are paired. The spouses can then apply to get children, one boy and one girl.

I did like seeing what it was like for Jonas to live in a society where everyone is the same and equal. Jonas is assigned to be the next Receiver and receives memories from The Giver. It was intriguing to see what it was like for him to experience various joyful and also painful memories. As Jonas is receiving the memories, he begins to question why his society is the way it is. The ending is open, but there are 3 more books in the series, though they are not direct sequels. I am curious about checking them out now.

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Final Thoughts

It was great rereading some books I had to read for school without having the pressure to remember all the themes or purposes of all the symbols. That said, my least favorite book I reread was The Great Gatsby. I thought the book was just fine with the plot and characters. On the other hand, my favorite book was The Giver. I did not remember the dystopian elements, and it was interesting to read about what it would be like if society embraced sameness over uniqueness. I would like to reread more books now that I read in school.

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Have you read any of these books when you were in school? Would you reread any books from your school days?