A Personal Reflection on Literary Dislike
Aria Chakravorty shares her five least favorite books encountered during her English degree at Oxford University. The discussion began when a tutor prompted a new class to identify their most and least enjoyed texts, meticulously recording both preferences. This sparked a realization: disliking a text isn't a failure of comprehension, but a valid response.
Traditionally, a negative reaction to a classic was often interpreted as a lack of understanding. As Shakespeare’s contemporaries noted in the Preface to the First Folio, “if then you doe not like him, surely you are in some manifest danger, not to understand him.” However, this perspective has shifted. An Oxford education has revealed texts that resonate deeply and others best left forgotten.
The books one dislikes are just as formative as those one loves, shaping intellectual and personal identity. Here are five texts from Chakravorty’s undergraduate studies that left a less-than-positive impression.
T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land
Chakravorty expresses only a mild aversion to The Waste Land, acknowledging its defiant indifference to reader enjoyment. The poem, spanning over 433 lines, presents a somber depiction of a decaying post-war world, characterized by divine apathy and a landscape reduced to "stony rubbish".
This experience underlines the importance of acknowledging personal responses to literature, and recognizing that disliking a work doesn't diminish its value, but can be a crucial part of the learning process.