If there is one aspect of school that students hate the most, it has to be homework. Of all the different types of homework, none are more dreaded than assigned reading. Having to read an outdated ‘classic’ that is no longer relevant in modern society is far from being an enjoyable task to anyone, least of all me. Instead of taking the easy way out and just using SparkNotes, I actually read these books, and now, I’ve decided to rank them.

#5: “Macbeth”:

While not technically a book, I am including “Macbeth” in the ranking just so I have an outlet to express my complete disdain for this piece of garbage. If I had been alive at the time that “Macbeth” was first released, I would be convinced that the world’s apparent greatest writer was washed. From the inconsistent characterization of the main characters to prophecies that were either fulfilled through dumb loopholes or just not fulfilled at all, at every turn this play fails to tell the story it was trying to set up in the beginning. The truth of the matter is that neither Macbeth nor Lady Macbeth are tragic heroes; they are jerks, willing to kill anyone around them for a shot at wealth and honor. If the murders were at least performed in an interesting way, I may be able to give this play a bit of leeway, but that is not the case. Sure, this play was likely popular at the time of its release, but that was also the 1500s when people only lived to be 30 and were perpetually drunk, so they may not be the best literary critics. All in all, “Macbeth” is a boring predictable piece of fiction that should have been the last of Shakespeare’s works added to the school curriculum in any way, shape, or form. 

#4: “To Kill a Mockingbird”:

This may be a controversial opinion, but I strongly disliked “To Kill A Mockingbird.” It wasn’t that it was badly written, I just wasn’t particularly compelled by the story at any point. I understand what the novel was going for, showing the innocence of two children being slowly stripped away as the harsh reality of the world becomes more and more unavoidable, but it just didn’t really do that all too effectively, at least for me. The racial aspects of this novel are also very overhyped. This book is far from revolutionary in its outdated portrayal of racism and just isn’t applicable to the world today. It’s not that this book is by any means bad, I just don’t think it’s all that special either. All in all, it’s just a pretty unremarkable story with not much to say. Being well-written doesn’t save this one from being bland.

#3: “All American Boys”:

While in my opinion, a rather unremarkable story, “All American Boys” still delivers a more relevant and important portrayal of racism than “To Kill a Mockingbird.” While this book may not be nearly as well written as other entries on this list, at its core it feels like it has something meaningful to say, and I respect that. By mainly focusing on one instance of injustice throughout the book, it is able to show us all angles of the situation and paints a more complicated picture of police brutality. You are really able to tell why each character acts the way they do, while still not trying to justify the actions of the more cruel characters. This is an all-around good book and the first one on this list I can understand forcing high schoolers to read.

#2: “The Great Gatsby”:

The first entry on this list that I enjoyed reading, for the most part. One of my biggest pet peeves with literature is when a single scene is described by massive chunks of writing without any dialogue breaking it up, and this book is full of that. If you’re able to get past those moments though, the story itself is pretty focused. At least the long descriptions are well-written and generally contribute to the story’s overall message of how wealth corrupts those who have it and condemns those who don’t. I rarely felt bored with any of the characters or events that happened and found all but James Gatz’s plot developments interesting. The end of this book is what really makes the novel to me. Its third act is compelling all the way through and finishes with a beautifully described end to both the character of Jay Gatsby and the book as a whole.

#1: “Of Mice and Men”:

This is by far my favorite book on this list. With a very focused story and narrow scope, it is in no way difficult to understand what is happening, and yet it still manages to portray things such as racism, sexism, and ableism all in very impactful ways. At its core, this story’s greatest strength is its characterization of its main characters Lenny and George and their relationship. Pair these two strong characters with an ensemble of other compelling side characters, add a perfect and beautifully sad ending, and you have yourself by far the best book I have ever been forced to read in high school.