I Re-Read The Great Gatsby After Hating It in School - Everything Changed

Did you have a bad experience with reading when you were at school?

A few months ago, I re-read The Great Gatsby, which was a classic that I hated reading when I was at school. This time, though, my experience was completely different.

When I was at school, we spent weeks analysing every metaphor, from the green light to The Valley of the Ashes. By the end, I lost sight of the story and couldn’t stand the book.

Today, I want to talk about The Great Gatsby, what changed when I re-read it, and some of the other classics from school I need to read next.

🤯The Great Gatsby – What Changed?

When we studied The Great Gatsby at school, it was all about symbolism.

The green light represents hope and the American Dream. The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg represent God watching over a morally bankrupt society. The Valley of Ashes represents the decay of the American Dream.

As a 15-year-old, hunting metaphors to pass exams and write essays just didn’t connect with me. Reading became a chore, looking for the ‘right’ answer, rather than being free to find out how this book related to me.

Then, reading this recently without the pressure of exams and coursework, I found the writing beautiful, the descriptions incredible, and the characters complex, flawed and human.

I found myself caring about the characters and where the story was taking me.

✏️Why School Reading Felt Different

This new viewpoint on a book I had disliked in school got me thinking about reading in education. I don’t want to blame teachers, and I don’t think the curriculum is trying to make anyone hate reading.

But I think we should be more aware that there’s a fundamental difference between reading for school and reading for yourself.

At school, you're reading to:

• Analyse themes and symbolism
• Write essays with 'correct' interpretations
• Pass exams
• Meet someone else's timeline"

When you read for yourself, you're reading to:

• Experience a story
• Learn something new
• Explore ideas
• Enjoy the process

I believe these differences matter, and personal curiosity plays a big part in my existing love of reading. That’s why I have decided to re-read books that we studied at school, to see how I view them now.

📚The Books I Want to Re-Read

1.     The Works of Shakespeare

I studied As You Like It, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and The Taming of the Shrew between the ages of 13 and 17.

It was definitely a struggle getting to grips with the old English language, and once again, I have memories of focusing on specific passages for analysis, rather than how the story made us feel.

I’m looking forward to seeing if I can enjoy Shakespeare when I’m not being graded.

2.     Tess of the d’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy

I read this when I was about 13 years old, and as a slower-paced novel, this was probably a mismatch for what I would have considered reading at this age.

At school, we drilled into how the landscape should be viewed as an extra character, and how this was reflective of the story.

I think the challenging themes of this book and slower pace are something I feel more suited to now, and I am looking forward to delving in.

3.     The Road – Cormac McCarthy

I read this at the age of 14 years old, and I think this was around the age I’d decided school books weren’t going to be for me.

The focus of our studies was on McCarthy’s minimal punctuation style, which is a shame, because I feel the story should have been something that appealed to me at this time in my life.

With friends who enjoyed this book when they read it, I’m looking forward to revisiting The Road with fresh eyes.

4.     Beowulf

We studied Beowulf as a poem when I was 15 years old, and my memory of it is actually quite vague.

The school issued a more modern retelling by Robert Nye, which I thought was a good idea, to try and help us understand the story. However, the poem was a challenging piece due to the language used, and it didn’t keep me engaged.

My aim is to re-read the story and then follow up by reading the poem.

5.     Dracula – Bram Stoker

I read this when I was 16 years old, and I remember enjoying the opening section of the book.

But then the pace of the books slightly dropped, and it came at the same time as our teacher offered detailed notes and a very useful textbook to guide us through the coursework submission. I then found I didn’t need to finish the book, because the notes and textbook provided everything I needed.

Now, I want to read Dracula, the way it deserves to be read.

💭Closing Thoughts

The Great Gatsby helped me recognise that school didn’t ruin my relationship with books, but it provided an experience of reading that didn’t suit me. I can now understand that you may gain a completely new perspective by re-reading books from your past.

I’d love to hear any books you read at school, and your experience of them, so please reach out to share your thoughts.

You can check out the video all about this topic on my YouTube channel below:

If you’re passionate about self-improvement, reading or want to discuss the subject of school reading, I’d love to hear from you. So please drop me a message.

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