Which books did you read before you were really old enough to understand them?

[PineappleSeahorse]

I was a voracious and precocious reader as a child and I became obsessed with my library’s copy of Animal Farm when I was 7. I loved it but of course I had no idea what it was really about.

I suppose that I could have made more inappropriate choices of reading material but I’m curious to know which books you read as a child that you probably shouldn’t have.

I was 4 when I first read Animal Farm (yes, really, precocious only child with older parents and not much else to do in the late 60s). I had a set of toy farm animals, many of which I named after the characters - had a particularly suitable Boxer and Mollie. I then went on to Oliver Twist, which my mum confiscated when I got upset by the death of Nancy.
I can’t say any of it did me any harm, although my parents wouldn’t have had any horror or explicit sex for me to browse. But I had free run of their bookcases and read a lot of strange things very young: Egyptology, 1950s ballet books, old dog books …

Oh yes, goodnight Mr Tom!!
It was our class novel in year 6.
Our teacher read it every story time. I found it so upsetting. I think I'd struggle with it now tbh.

I read most of her books before the age of 11/12
No nightmares though.
Some dubious Catherine Cooksons too.

I read everything I could get my hands on as a child. Discovered Erica Jong at 12...

My mum bought me Deenie because I had a curvature of the spine 😂

She also read my copy of Forever and thought it hilarious. She didn't believe in censoring my reading.

I definitely looked at Goodnight Mr Tom through different eyes when I re-read it as an adult.
Was Williams mother actually mentally ill or just angry and bitter with her life?
Was she a prostitute and got pregnant with William and later on baby Trudy (There's a neighbour who says something about "hearing furniture moving around at night") or did she just have a relationship with a man.
All those questions never occurred to me as a child - but reading it as an adult I found myself wanting to know what actually happened with his mum.

I desperately struggled through wuthering heights at 8, due to the kate bush song 😂

I read The Handmaid's Tale when I was 16, I think it was for A level English. Since then, I have watched the series and realised I did not have a clue what it was all about although I probably liked to think that I did but how could I??!

I read all the Virginia Andrews novels when I was about 10 which totally normalised child abuse, rape and incest.

Same 😆

those bible books that had the red cover and one had a yellow cover that were sold by those traveling book sales people. i studied the pictures first then as i started to learn the words i got better

I also read another book about a model
who was abused, alcoholic, drug addled, got clean & lots of dubious sexual partners. Some of it didn't click till I looked back.

All of, the then available, Torey Hayden books when I was about 9/10.

Exactly! That was my problem. I think I was too young to understand the loss of freedoms because at 16 I had yet to experience "adult" freedoms (if that makes sense?).
Our teacher decided to show us the (80s) film version. It's an 18 Certificate. None of us were 18. Ooops.

Was Flowers in the Attic on of hers? I did too. Totally inappropriate but I read anything I could get my hands on.

I think I was about 11.

Lots of Jeffrey Archer too.

@GreenSalon2 yes

I read this too at a similar age! Didn’t it have crime scene pictures of what was written on the walls? Gruesome

I read Lord of the Rings in year 2.

I read War & Peace in reception but think I skimmed it...

@Needmorelego yes - totally! It's one that needs life experience to fully understand and appreciate the story. Oh wow I didn't realise there was a film - yes it would HAVE to be rated 18 which says it all really - whose idea was it to put on the curriculum?! 😳😂

My parents bought us leather bound books of Dickens' entire oeuvre and I read them all before secondary school. Didn't have a scooby but my vocabulary is pusillanimous.

I've never met anyone else who's read this! I was similar age. But I am very grateful for the subsequent novels, which taught me (long before an actual boyfriend) that sex should be amazing and that I should bloody well expect to enjoy it. Reckon I'd have put up with less than optimal experiences otherwise.

My dad had a book published by National Geographic magazine. It had black and white pictures of African people who lived a traditional lifestyle in the centrefold.

I used to look at the photos very quickly then put it back on the bookshelf making sure that nonody could tell I'd been there.

@boredwithfoodprob I haven't watched the TV version because I think it will just be too depressing for me.
The film version had the late Natasha Richardson as Offred I think.

*nobody

😂

Animal Farm. 1968 in our 1st year of secondary school, so we were 11. The whole class were laughing. We thought we were so grown up after moving up from primary school and they gave us a book about talking animals to read. The whole book just went over our heads.