The Great American Read discussion

When I was in high school everyone (including me!) was reading these, I would never have thought anyone would select it as best novel. But they were addictive. Gothic (in a way), forbidden relationships, family secrets... great fun!!

I loved this book in high school. The sequels were pretty good, until the author died and they were ghost written. The first few were definitely worth a read.

I just read this book a couple of years ago as I was one of about four people left on the planet who had not! It's a good story, but oh so very creepy. I was intrigued enough to go ahead and read the plot summaries for the other books in the series, and if these are any indication, this family saga only gets more and more bizarre. Let's just say this first one was strange enough for me. I don't feel compelled to read on.

Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods༺ wrote: "I just read this book a couple of years ago as I was one of about four people left on the planet who had not! It's a good story, but oh so very creepy. I was intrigued enough to go ahead and read t..."

Was this also a movie? I don't think I read it (I'm not in the right generation), but I seems very familiar.

NancyJ wrote: "Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods༺ wrote: "I just read this book a couple of years ago as I was one of about four people left on the planet who had not! It's a good story, but oh so very creepy. I was i..."

It was, the original is from 1987, then it was remade in 2014 and a couple of the next books too. The new ones were just on Lifetime (or something like that) last week. I too read these in high school, very risque for the time, but everyone was reading them. I read all of this series and then quite of few of other series.

I loved the series.

I read them when I was young, and as someone said, the first few (written by the original author) were good. Not creepy in a Stephen King kind of way, creepy in the social taboo kind of way. Was amazed that they made the list, but I'm sure at least one person feels that way about most of the books on the list. Don't know that I'm compelled to reread them, and certainly not repeat the whole series.

I agree, Linda; there are quite a few I'm not interested in reading or rereading. I enjoyed the first four books in the series.

I read these as a preteen. Probably not appropriate. Quite disturbing! Worth the read I think. Secured my love of reading in part.

I read this once, very creepy. I find it difficult to believe that it made the top 100 list.

I agree, Bill, it was quite bizarre, but I did read and fly through the first four, and like you, I am very surprised it made the list; in fact, there are many others I feel the same about, although there are some right on target.

These novels were a supremely guilty pleasure - I thought them the weirdest, yet...could not put them down!

Yes, I felt the same.

Everyone (including me) was reading these when I was in HS.

Kirsten wrote: "Everyone (including me) was reading these when I was in HS."

Never read them. Or even wanted to. They were popular when I was (I believe) a senior. I was way too busy reading the Classics to be interested in modern fiction.

I have never read them but have always kinda wanted to try one out. Taboo stuff doesn't bother me because I like the idea of being pushed as a reader.