During our four years at York, we all attend English classes. And in those English classes, whether we like it or not, we are forced to read the assigned books.

When the teacher announces the next novel, classrooms all around York fill with mopes and groans.

“Do we seriously have to read this?” or “How much do we have to annotate?” Or, one of the most common questions, “Are you going to quiz us on this?” 

The assigned books that students are forced to read spark mixed emotions. Some people like some books, while others’ may have a different opinion. When asked about their favorite and least favorite English books of all time, students had mixed answers.

Many of the books that were mentioned all came back to one very popular year, freshmen year. Books like Raisin in the Sun, All Quiet on the Western Front, Romeo and Juliet, and Things Fall Apart have been mentioned.

“My least favorite was definitely Raisin in The Sun because it was a bad ending and it really wasn’t all that interesting,” said sophomore Mariana Cedillo.

“Taming of the Shrew was horrible, I hate Shakespeare and poetry,” said junior Hannah Bingham.

“[I didn’t like] All Quiet on the Western Front  because I thought it was super boring and there were too many last names that started with ‘K’,” said sophomore Riley Bolt. “Also, I did not like reading about arms being blown off every other page. I have so much more, but that seems like enough.”

“Anything Shakespeare [I don’t like] because it was beaten over our heads too much and made up nearly half of our books,” said senior Jack Wiesenmayer. “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was my favorite because it was an interesting perspective that not only made me question society, but question my life as well.”

Sophomore Marissa Logan seems to have a different opinion on Shakespeare. “Romeo and Juliet was my favorite because I really liked it and I like romance stories.”

“I can’t even remember the books we read last year,” said sophomore Danielle Fite. “Things Fall Apart! Okay, that’s my least favorite because I couldn’t relate to it at all and it was pretty random.”

Fite was not the only one who found Things Fall Apart to be a disappointing read.

“The worst was Things Fall Apart. Yams,” said senior Graeham Toomey.

The overall consensus seems to be mixed, some people enjoy some of the English books, while others’ see some of the books as unfavorable choices.

Whether you are jumping for joy about the next read, or sitting back in anger, the English books are what they are–whether you like them or not.