[scorxn]

Super interesting to read everyone's opinions about C&P. I too was force-fed lots of classics in school, and practically always resorted to CliffsNotes. For whatever reason, C&P struck such a chord with me, I "couldn't put it down", won a scholarship writing about it, and got to skip a bunch of Lit classes in college :)

[Baeocystin]

There were many classic novels forced via English class that I actively disliked. Most of Melville gives me an eye twitch to this day. But C&P clicked with me and my friend group. We all loved the weeks we spent on it, discussing in class, and it remains a book I re-read every few years.

[QuesnayJr]

This is heresy, but if you skip the chapters in Moby Dick of asides, it's a pretty gripping story. There's a reason why Star Trek keeps stealing Ahab's best lines. I like some of the chapters of asides, but they're really not what makes the book a classic.