An unexpectedly disturbing meme

So I took a break from writing my not very exciting poll (please take it anyway!) to do that "crackbrained pairings from your icons" meme that's going around. How could I resist when everyone else's results were so silly and fun? Except, well, mine came out sort of... scary. Like, in nine out of ten cases, the end of the story would be, "and then Blah cut off Blah's head with a rusty butter knife, because he just wouldn't stop talking." I don't think my icons play well with others.

I left out Lord Blakeney, because he's far too young for such shenanigans, poor dear, and also Nathan Fillion and Bill Moyers, because as the only two living real folks pictured, they'd be stuck with each other, and somehow I don't think the world is ready for Bill Moyers/Nathan Fillion RPS, you know? As for the long-dead real folks, Joan of Arc gets left out, because she's so "Joan+God4EVA!!!!1!!" and there's just no room there for crackbrained pairing memes, but Nathan Hale and Paul Revere get left in, because... um... because.

( On to the frightening wrongness... )

A poll! Not a very exciting poll, I admit, but please take it anyway.

The thing about wandering far afield in my quest for icons is that I keep wandering into interesting conversations, both good and bad. One of these exchanges was the whine-fest between two soon-to-be high school juniors who were lamenting the fact that this year they'd have to read The Scarlet Letter. The jist was- it's boring, it's hard, it's not useful in any way, wah wah wah, and anyway, we all know the story so why bother? Now, I like The Scarlet Letter and Hawthorne in general, and I don't have a ton of sympathy for high schoolers who whine about assigned reading (it's one book, it won't kill you, and I had to read Hemingway with a smile so shut up and eat your brussel sprouts). Still, I remember pretty much the same reaction from my class when we read it, and I'm sure it was the same story in many, many other schools. Poor Hawthorne.

Anyway, my poll sort of sprang from that. I was really just curious about what people have and haven't read of the particular slice of American Lit that includes The Scarlet Letter and all of its boring, hard, not useful friends, for which we already know the stories. Heh. I don't ask if you liked or disliked a particular author or work, though I am very curious about that, so please feel free to tell me in the comments (along with any anecdotes, whines, jokes, whatever). I just didn't want anyone to feel they had to click, "I like Moby-Dick!" just because you know I do. No pressure. You don't have to like anything. I'll just quietly shake my head at the foolishness of people who expect their novels to have wacky things like forward plot momentum instead of lengthy digressions on chowder and coiling rope... kidding! There's no head shaking. I'm just asking "did you read X?" and "when?" No, seeing the movie doesn't count. Any other info is welcome, but up to you. Oh, and if there are any typos, please pretend there aren't. I'm pretty sleepy. Thank you kindly!


( Clicky click! )