Readers Reveal Most Overrated Classic Books
When I turned twenty, I set a personal reading goal to read 100 classics by the time I turned thirty. I admit, I still have twelve books to go within nine months...but I like to think that I am relatively well-versed in classic literature.
So when Reddit user villagewitch3000 asked, "What's the worst 'classic' you've ever read?" I immediately had to see if everyone agreed with me about The Scarlet Letter being one of the most tedious slogs known to classic literature. (The consensus is in...IT IS!)
Even though I wholeheartedly disagree with some of these reviews, I thought they were too interesting not to share. So without further ado...
"Wuthering Heights. Jesus. Heathcliff, mate, just leave her alone. "
"Pride and Prejudice. Long-winded drivel, neither funny nor romantic, and without even the redeeming quality of a worthwhile message."
"The Scarlet Letter. I hate how Hawthorne spoon-feeds his readers symbolism. We get it. The scarlet letter is a symbol for shame."
"Gone with the Wind. Scarlett O'Hara acts ridiculous and insufferable throughout the entire novel. She doesn't care who she has to hurt, just as long as she gets her way."
"To Kill a Mockingbird. I thought it was so boring and I was really disappointed. I picked it up expecting that the racism aspect of the story would have a bigger role, but instead I had to read through pages and pages of this little girl's boring life."
"The Great Gatsby. I can't stand Fitzgerald's writing style."
"Rebecca. It's like, bitch, I do not care about your problems. The only person in this entire mansion that I can relate to is the maid that I'm supposed to hate."
"This will probably get some hate...but Catcher in the Rye. I honestly could not connect with Holden Caulfield and found him to be somewhat of a whiny, self-indulgent ne'er-do-well."
"Crime and Punishment. I just wanted to punch the main character in the face over and over again. And it honestly had zero to do with the fact that he was a murderer. I just hated his personality."
"Lolita, hands down. Gross, perverted, and I dreaded picking it back up every time I did. "
"Frankenstein. I think my problem was that I was expecting the book to be really different from what it was."
"The Alchemist. Ugh. What utter tripe. If this book changed your life, then you must have had a truly horrific life up to that point."
"Les Misérables. Not only is it very long, it has seemingly interminable stretches of boredom."
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It might've been funny or clever when I was 14 and loved Monty Python and thought absurdist British humour was the height of comedy...but it was awful as an adult."
"Anything Tolkien. Reading the man's writing is like trying to ingest a pack of broken light bulbs."
"Heart of Darkness is so incredibly boring. I had to read it for three separate classes, and I really tried to like it each time, but I can't stand that book. "
"Don Quixote...fuck Don Quixote."
"Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Talking about the mechanics of the boat is not fun."
"Ulysses. That was work."
"Atlas Shrugged. 🙄😴😴😴😴😴"
"Moby Dick is one of the most inconsistent books I've ever read. It starts out as a first-person narrative by Ishmael, occasionally interrupted by lengthy speeches and occasional chapters on the anatomy of the sperm whale, and by the end, it shifts to the third person. Then there is maybe a paragraph tacked onto the very end when Melville realizes this was Ishmael's story, so he kinda reverts back to the first person to explain how he could have survived to tell the tale."
"The Picture of Dorian Gray. Udder nonsense dressed in off-putting, overly flowery dribble."
"Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck just REALLY likes describing scenery, and sometimes I'm just not down to read through ten pages about hills. "
"The Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck. The great depression... pretty much sums how I felt reading it."
"One Hundred Years of Solitude. I recall reading it, and I ended up saying, 'That was it? What was all the fuss about?'"
"Pretty much anything by Charles Dickens. He came from a time when authors were paid by installment, and it shows."
"Brave New World. Didn't find it compelling at all. 1984 on the other hand scared the shit out of me."
"The Turn of the Screw. It is supposed to be ambiguous, but I really only see the governess as a loon. "
"The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer seems to think the only things that are funny are farts."
"I read Slaughterhouse-Five and I don't remember a damn thing about it. "
"I hated The Giver. The ending was just deus ex machina wish fulfillment. "
"Walden was my 'I can't stand this' book. It almost destroyed my love of reading."
"I get why Uncle Tom's Cabin is important, but hoooo boy, that book is a hot mess. Most of the classics I've slogged through are at least objectively well written, but not this one. "
"Vanity Fair. I've read it about four times, and I still can't keep up with who is who and what the main character's motive is."
"The Yellow Wallpaper. Yeah, I get it. Patriarchy bad. "
"The Count of Monte Cristo. It builds up to this lacklustre ending that could've happened chapters ago. I felt I would have been better off watching a Hollywood adaptation loosely based on the original novel."
"The Bell Jar. Took it from my university library...couldn't read it."
"Toni Morrison's Beloved. Starts off boring, progresses slowly, and tries to be meaningful in places, but it just felt contrived. Then out of nowhere, a supernatural ending that would be more at home in a Sci-fi original movie."
Since The Great Gatsby is my favourite book of all time, I am personally offended by those who tell me that Fitzgerald is nothing special. I want to scream, "You try writing such colourful and poetic prose!" So please don't let me down in the comments.
Instead, in the comments, tell me the classic literature titles that you could barely get through, and which of the above titles are WRONG to be listed as a "bad classic."
And make sure you follow BuzzFeed Canada on TikTok and Instagram for more!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Selena Gomez Catches Heat for 'Rich Person' Behavior After Recent Photo Enraged Fans
is rubbing some fans the wrong way after sharing a seemingly harmless photo from a recent concert she attended. The Disney channel alum is facing criticism after she admitted to watching a New York Knicks basketball game on her phone while attending a concert stop along Beyonce's Cowboy Carter tour. After posting a photo via Instagram Stories of her mobile device situated up on the glass of what looked to be box seating at the highly-anticipated concert series, Reddit users had a field day with the snap, calling the actress' move "rich person" behavior. "Still got my eye on the game," text over the picture read, with the music event taking place at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium down below. The image sparked debates across the internet, with people taking to the sharing platform to express their opinions about celebrity behavior and concert etiquette. Several conveyed disappointment over Gomez's apparent lack of engagement. "Not surprised. Rich people can't appreciate things because they've destroyed the pleasure center of their brain from getting what they want all the time. Selena will never know an Ounce of the happiness I felt in the cheap seats," one top comment read. Another echoed that sentiment, chiming in with, "GIRL…….. and all those empty seats! What a waste. Rich people are sf annoying," in part. On the other hand, many understood the need to be tapped into both events at once. "I live in NYC and plenty of my friends who went to the Cowboy Carter show last night also had the game on their phones… I'm not a basketball fan but apparently it's been a big deal 🤷♀️," someone reasoned. "Would that be me at a Beyonce concert, absolutely not! But this is a nothing burger tbh…she likes Bey and she likes basketball, she wouldn't be there if she didn't want to 😭," another candidly pointed out, as another said, "Can't blame her. Knicks pacers series 🔥." An additional Reddit user added, "Not to mention that it was a huge playoff game. I can't blame her for keeping up with it while at a concert. I would absolutely do the same thing." Amid all the online chatter, it should be noted that the Only Murders in the Building star has been a regular at Knicks games, often attending with her fiancé, Benny Blanco. The couple was recently spotted courtside at Madison Square Garden, displaying no shortage of PDA and enjoying the sporting event together. The New York Knicks are currently facing off against the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals—the team's first time making it this far since 1999. Next, Selena Gomez Catches Heat for 'Rich Person' Behavior After Recent Photo Enraged Fans first appeared on Parade on May 27, 2025
New York Post
7 hours ago
- New York Post
Bride slams ‘disrespectful' family for poor wedding guest etiquette: ‘Very hurtful'
This blushing bride was beyond bothered after a guest snubbed her luxurious brunch spread for a bucket of fried chicken — and then rudely boasted about it on social media. Six weeks after the wedding, the newlywed took to Reddit to vent her frustration in the Subreddit r/weddingplanning, and gauge whether or not she was overreacting to the incident. She shared that she had spent eight months 'meticulously' planning the wedding with her husband and parents, and after much deliberation, they opted to celebrate the 'elegant morning ceremony' with a brunch-based reception at a venue well-known for the renowned chef's 'exquisite catering.' 4 Many users also said that venues like the one described in the post often don't allow outside food or drink. anatoliycherkas – 'We hand-selected our menu items months in advance, including shrimp and grits, quiche, a biscuit bar with assorted jellies, sausage, and bacon, chicken and waffles, and much, much more,' wrote the bride in her post, and added that the spread cost the couple $98 per person. She also explained that early on in their relationship, she and her husband started a tradition of enjoying Saturday morning brunch together, so the reception marked their first brunch as a married couple, making it an extra sentimental occasion for the pair. As with just about any wedding, there were a few unpopular family members in attendance. 'My uncle and his wife are in the midst of a rocky separation, and his wife has a history of being rude to and taking advantage of the rest of the family. We were surprised to hear that he was bringing her with him to the wedding about 3 days prior, given the situation, but said nothing about it,' she explained. Apparently, while making the 15-minute drive from the church to the reception venue, the uncle and his wife were feeling peckish, so naturally, they stopped for a few buckets of fried chicken at a fast-food joint. The bride clarified that this wasn't the issue, and in fact, was completely fine with it — it was the wife's actions once she arrived at the venue that truly aggravated her. 4 The bride said she was shocked it was the wife who brought in the chicken, rather than the uncle's young children. fudio – After entering the reception and evaluating the luxe brunch spread — which the bride clarified had plenty of options to choose from, and was even abundant enough to be sent home as leftovers with the newlyweds — her uncle's wife went back out to the parking lot, 'retrieved the leftover fast food, and then she re-entered the reception hall with it and ate it openly at one of our decorated round tables.' Still, this brazen move wasn't the boiling point for the bride. Apparently, the uncle and his wife took 'pictures of themselves eating the fast food at the table (with the brand packaging all out in the open)' and 'they have now posted those pictures on Facebook on two separate occasions,' leaving the bride and her mother, who played a large role in planning, hurt and offended. To add insult to injury, other family members commented on the chicken contrabandist's posts, writing, 'nothing classier than bringing fast food to a catered wedding!' 4 Bringing unsanctioned food into a catered reception could also potentially trigger allergies among food-sensitive guests. TravelMedia – 'I'm struggling with feeling like I was disrespected on a day that we put so much time, money, energy, and thought into planning, and every time they post about it just digs the knife in deeper,' the bride's Reddit post concluded. 'I don't want to comment on the post or anything because I'm afraid to be seen as overreacting or like a bridezilla, but it's very hurtful.' Though angry brides often take plenty of flak online — take it from this woman who demanded that her toddler flower girls all straighten their hair to match better in photos, or this ultra-specific dress code designated by a judgmental bride-to-be — the comments under this Reddit thread were staunchly on the side of the original poster. 4 The offending guests couldn't even pull the picky eater excuse, as comments pointed out, thanks to the fried chicken the venue offered. micromonkey – 'It's frying me that they ate fried chicken when you literally served fried chicken,' pointed out one punning commenter. 'This makes it obvious to me that she just wanted to make a scene.' 'I personally wouldn't let this one keep me up at night,' advised another. 'She embarrassed herself, not you, and the Facebook post where someone called her out is a perfect example of that. She may have laughed off their comment, but trust me when I say she is the only person who looks bad here.' A majority of the comments commiserated with the bride, and offered their own stories, ranging from a groom who wouldn't eat his own reception food and ordered McDonald's to the venue instead, to a huge group of family members who complained about the wedding menu in advance. 'It sounds like your other guests were judging them harshly too. I'd let other people stand up for you, like that family member, and you get to be the classy bride who rose above it all. Obviously, no one likes this woman, and there's no point in letting her ruin your day!' replied one wise Redditor.
Buzz Feed
7 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
Emily Ratajkowski Has Zero Straight Men In Her Life
Emily Ratajkowski is deprioritizing "straight men," and I honestly love that for her. In a June 18 interview with Elle UK, the supermodel shared how she's entering a new era where her womanhood and femininity are at the center of her universe. For Emily, she's learned to deprioritize men. "Not centering men is really wonderful," she said. "In general, in our world, men have somehow filed this space, but what I found instead of it is community." "I still like men," she explained. "I just have zero straight men in my life, unless they're a romantic interest. In the hierarchy of needs, that's at the top of the pyramid, which is nice. [Men are] pleasure and fun, but not a part of my core." "The rest of my life is community with other women and queer people, and being a mom," she added. She is a mother to Sylvester Apollo Bear, whom she shares with ex-husband Sebastian Bear-McClard. Part of that "community" she discussed is her good friend Lena Dunham, who included her in her new Netflix series Too Much. Besides starring in one of my favorite TV creators' new shows and always serving us ridiculously beautiful, not-so-candid paparazzi photos, EmRata always has a way with words, and her latest take is certainly making waves on the internet. When Emily's quotes hit this Reddit thread, people had a lot of thoughts about the idea of her having "zero straight men" in her life and why she's choosing to decenter men. Here are some compelling responses: "I get it. Just wanted to build a friendship with a male neighbor and had one coffee with him, and whoosh the supposedly funny messages seasoned with sexual hints are coming in. Pisses me off so much." "I feel this. Most straight men I interact with for longer than ten minutes end up flirting with me. I hate it so much. In high school, almost all of my straight male friends tried hitting on me multiple times. I stopped having serious straight male friends years ago." "Yeah, it's a bit sad, but every male friend I've had eventually ended up trying to get something sexual from me. I can have more superficial friendships, as in, we can have a conversation in a group of people and get along. But 1:1 meet-ups I just won't do anymore because time and time again this has ended up being the end goal, and I'm so feeling tired of it." "This is normal for hot women. Straight men want to sleep with her, not be her friend. She's probably encountered enough of that to set her life up like this and avoid the trouble." "I still have trouble navigating adult friendships and wonder if this is a common thought among men and women. I just want friends, but stuff like this is usually in the back of my head when I try to make friends with women." "As someone who's a guy and friends with some hot women…I get it. I don't try to get with them because they're just my friends (shocker), but it's an epidemic issue. It's also not one-sided. A lot of the same doors are opened for hot men, and that introduces the same issues. It's very hard for our culture — right now, but I actually think not forever — to just respect the human across from you as a human first. But maybe that's naive." "Isn't this..... normal? Most guys are like this too, they have no women in their life unless they're a romantic interest and that's OK, too." Finally, "I'm a man with many male and female friends. I don't know how I'd actually feel if my female friends just decided this about me. 10 years ago, when I was coming of age, it felt like the trend was that all the gender barriers were coming down, and of course, men and women could be friends — now it feels like we're back to playground rules as some sort of edgy trend. Are the 1980s back or something?" Now, I want to hear what you think. Is it possible to maintain platonic friendships with people you could be attracted to, or are they always doomed to become something more? What are your biggest wins or failures while trying to maintain a platonic friendship that could've been romantic? Share your stories in the comments or use this anonymous form.
