yes this one was part of our english literature curriculum

 I´m guessing you enjoyed it! 

The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand

:  >

 It is my all-time favorite. 

 You are absolutely NOT alone!  I didn´t care for it either......but then again, I prefer modern smut to old worn out classics!

Risking that some will call me almost illiterate, I dare to say I don´t read ´literature´. Even Dutch ´big´ writers I have hardly read, though I read a lot, just not stuff from famous people. ´My´ writers will never be on lists like this, but does it make their books less good or valuable? Of course I know some of the books in the first topic, a few were on my list for English class in secondary school (though I admit now I cheated with only seeing video´s and reading abstracts.... Sorry to my English teacher then, Mr. Hockx   .

 hehehe....you bed dutch!  Don´t worry, I did the same thing with a few so called, "American Classics."  We used to read the Cliff Notes on the book and not have to read the entire thing.  I think much "Literature" is over-rated....but of course most people would think I am illiterate too! 

Elisabeth, Trudy, I hear you - I had to read the classics at the uni but they´re not on my favourite books list (at least not most of them). There´s a Polish book titled Ferdydurke by Gombrowicz. There´s a situation when a teacher asks the question why Slowacki (a Polish poet) stirs andmiration and love in us, only to answer it that it is due to his having been a great poet. An attempt to express his lack of love and admiration for Slowacki by one of the students is perceived as a personal attack on the teacher.

There are generations that blindly follow cannons of literature, fine arts and music. What do you mean you don´t like those Big names? They´re big, wise people found them admirable and so should you

 Conclusion: I´m not wise. (Can´t answer for Elisabeth....   )

 Heavens NO!  I am not worldly or wise!  But I do love to read.......just love the occasional mindless Steven King story about some crazy town in north America.....or perhaps (God forbid) a trashy love novel....or maybe even a Non-Fiction (reading one now called Porn Generation - its´ about how porn and social liberalism is destroying civilization -Ben Shapiro)  Anyway, I don´t pretend to be intellectual....so I don´t think anyone will be disappointed at my reading choices!! 

Same here

One more thing from Ferdydurke:

"Great poetry being great and being poetry cannot fail to astonish us and thus astonishes us"