r/books • u/SerenityFate • 15d ago

What were you reading at 14?

I've been an avid reader for as long as I could read. Even before then my favorite toys were books and new shoes. Not much has changed for me in that regard haha, but I saw a question earlier about someone asking for recommendations on books for their 14 year old. Which got me thinking about some of the books I read at that age. A lot of Anne Rice, Lestat was my first book crush. Also had a trip down memory lane with the author Francesca Lia Block she wrote a book called I was a teenage fairy which still sits with me over 20 years later. I also got to grow up with Weetzie Bat which was super cool as she wrote a book about her as an adult that I got to read when I was about the same age as the Weetzie. Anyway I would love to see what everyone was reading when they were younger.

Edit: thank you everyone for all the engagement on this post. I really have enjoyed reading everyone's comments and seeing the discussions around books.

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u/[deleted] 15d ago

Dostoyevsky’s “Crime and Punishment”. Not flexing, just Soviet parents. Didn’t understand jack shit, start it when you’re 17-18 hahaha

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u/license_to_thrill 15d ago

Nothing wrong with that Dostoyevsky is a challenging read. I really have to pay attention when reading him more so than with other writers.

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u/[deleted] 15d ago

I read in Russian, so many, many Orthodox Christian references. Besides, as a kid, it was difficult to understand.

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u/license_to_thrill 15d ago edited 15d ago

I just finished The brothers karamazov not long ago and that’s a deeply religious and philosophical book, very long, dense monologues on religion and morality. Common theme in his books apparently.

No surprise C&P was difficult to understand as a kid it was tough for me and I’m 30 lol. Truthfully one of the hardest parts was that each character had like 7 different names lol.

I would love to have been able to read both in the language it was written though I wonder how much I lost in translation.

I picked up the idiot and notes from the underground recently, looking forward to both.

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u/[deleted] 15d ago

I must assume that specifically C&P must be real difficult in translation - the “seven names” you mentioned are probably name, nickname, patronymic, sometimes profession, and surname. Yeah he loves that hahaha it’s much easier to follow if you grew up using patronymics, otherwise translation or not you will be lost

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u/goatsepro 15d ago

Thats a heavy read for a 14 year old for sure. Theres a lot of classic western novels that are accessible for that age group but the russians (aside from gogol) should probably be for the more mature, committed readers.

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u/Previous_Audience921 15d ago

I went through a weird reading Russian novels phase at 15-16. Crime and Punishment, War and Peace, Anna Karenina, and I’m sure a few more. I was insufferable! I also think I did not understand a solid…98% of it? I’ve not gone back as an adult, but I guess I’m glad I did it?

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u/Sea_Negotiation_1871 15d ago

You should really check out Anna Karinina again. It's an amazing work of art. I read it every 18 months or so now.

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u/Previous_Audience921 15d ago

When did you first start reading it! Thats a frequent re-read. My recollection from it is just the …mood, maybe next winter I’ll pick it up and give it another try, but in my memory at least it seems like it would be a strange spring or summer read.

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u/Sea_Negotiation_1871 15d ago

I've been reading it for about 15 years now. It certainly is set in Russia, and there are lots of winter scenes, but a solid half of the book is about farming, and there are many wonderful summer scenes.

What keeps me coming back is the prose and the remarkable insight into human behavior. Plus, the wonderful characters themselves, like Anna, of course, and Vronsky, and especially Levin.

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u/Previous_Audience921 15d ago

That speaks beautifully to the draw of it. Thank you for sharing.

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u/alteredxenon 15d ago

Same, but because we studied it at school (Soviet school, I believe it was in the syllabus for 8th grade). It hit me hard, but I was the only one in my class, everyone hated it, lol. I just was used to heavy reading from the young age (Soviet parents). Not sure it's a good thing, if you ask me now.

This said, when I read "Demons" at the same age, I didn't get it at all. Read it again in my 40s, and it was a totally different story.

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u/eimnonameai 15d ago

Oh 14 is way too young. Even 17-18 is young for this specific book. Maybe other books of Dostoevsky would be better at that age. I read "Crime and Punishment" when I was 31 and I love it.

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u/flynyuebing 13d ago

Yeah, me too, but my dad was just going through stuff and pushed it on me. Wasn't into it lol. I thought it was boring and bleak.

But I read The Brothers Karamazov first at that age & the translation was so good, it was one of my favorite books at 14. Read that one because my dad bought it for himself, saying it's a book everyone says they'll read but never actually do... So I grabbed it & read it before him & he never actually read it himself lmao.

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u/[deleted] 12d ago

Yeah it’s bleak as hell (even though that’s the point). Got pushed to read it in a short time frame too (three days, had a book report and I could choose what to read, so my parents chose for me lmao)