13 Books Indiana Adults Secretly Enjoy After Hating Them in School

There’s something about being assigned a book in school that makes it instantly less fun to read. Maybe it’s the looming quiz. Maybe it’s the pressure to “analyze themes.”

Either way, plenty of great books got shoved into backpacks and barely skimmed. It wasn’t always the book’s fault—sometimes we just weren’t ready for them yet.

But something funny happens when people grow up. Those dusty old paperbacks that once felt like a chore suddenly become captivating.

The stories hit harder. The characters feel more real. And what was once boring now feels brilliant.

Even Hoosiers who dreaded English class have found themselves falling in love with the very same books they used to groan about. Here are some titles that got a second life after graduation.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Back in school, this one felt like it was just about rich people throwing boring parties and making bad decisions.

Most teens didn’t care about symbolism or the American Dream. They just wanted to know when the test was and if they needed to memorize any quotes.

But reading it as an adult?

Whole different story. The emptiness behind the glitz, the idea of chasing something you can never quite reach—it all starts to make sense.

Suddenly, Gatsby feels tragic, Daisy feels complicated, and that green light means more than just a discussion question.

Adults can relate to ambition, regret, and the ache of wanting something just out of reach.

The book is short, but it lingers. The language is rich, the metaphors are haunting, and the ending hits you in a way it simply couldn’t when you were fifteen. Turns out, it’s less about flappers and more about feelings.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

In school, you probably read this because you had to—not because you wanted to. Sure, Atticus Finch was cool and Scout was spunky, but it all blended in with other assignments and vocabulary sheets.

Later on, though, the story lands in a much deeper way. As an adult, the themes of justice, morality, and how society treats people who are different hit with more weight.

Atticus isn’t just the guy with the good quotes—he’s the kind of person you wish more of the world would be like. And Scout’s innocence doesn’t just make her charming, it makes her observations hit even harder.

It’s one of those books that gets better the more you think about it.

What once seemed slow now feels rich. What once felt like schoolwork now feels like required reading for life.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

When you were a teenager, this one felt dark, sad, and confusing.

Why all the doom? Why all the talk about rabbits?

As an adult, though, it’s easier to see the heartbreak and humanity in Steinbeck’s story. You start to understand loneliness, friendship, and how quickly dreams can slip away.

George and Lennie’s relationship is more than a plot—it’s a deep dive into loyalty and loss. The way the story builds to its quiet, gut-wrenching end is something that stays with you.

It’s a short read, but it leaves a big emotional punch. The ending sticks with you—and this time, it’s not just because you had to write an essay about it. It’s because it actually hurt.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Let’s be honest—teenagers don’t usually care about Puritan shame and embroidered letters. Reading The Scarlet Letter in school often felt like decoding an old language.

The sentences were long, the vocabulary felt ancient, and it all seemed wrapped up in some old-fashioned story about adultery.

But revisit it now, and you might be surprised.

Hester Prynne is strong. Bold. Unapologetic in the face of judgment. And the way Hawthorne exposes the hypocrisy of the society around her is sharp.

As an adult, the themes of guilt, secrecy, public scrutiny, and redemption become much more relatable. Suddenly, the letter A feels a lot less dusty and a lot more powerful.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

High school minds often saw this as nothing but a bunch of people going to balls and talking in circles.

What was even happening? Who were all these people with long names?

But read it now, and it’s smart, funny, and packed with dry wit. Elizabeth Bennet is fiercely independent, Mr. Darcy is more than just broody, and the social commentary is still sharp.

It’s not just a love story—it’s about pride, assumptions, and learning to grow. Every misunderstanding, every subtle jab, every transformation in the characters feels earned.

It turns out Jane Austen wasn’t just writing romances—she was rewriting the rules. And reading her as an adult means catching all the clever things you missed as a teen.

1984 by George Orwell

Many teens found this one dense, depressing, or just plain confusing. All that talk about Big Brother and Newspeak made it feel like a homework headache.

Fast forward a few decades, and suddenly this book doesn’t feel like fiction—it feels like a warning. Adults see the brilliance in Orwell’s critique of surveillance, propaganda, and control.

The world of 1984 is grim, but it’s not just scary for the sake of being scary. It’s a mirror held up to power, to manipulation, to the slow erosion of truth.

It’s chilling, smart, and way more gripping once you’re old enough to see how close it can feel to reality. The language isn’t easy, but the message?

Crystal clear.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

In school, Holden Caulfield was either cool or completely annoying. There wasn’t much in between. His complaints and moody monologues didn’t always connect with younger readers.

As an adult, though, you start to hear his voice differently. His struggles with grief, identity, and disconnection feel more relatable than they did at 16.

You might still roll your eyes at some of his rambling, but you get it now.

You see the pain under the sarcasm. The loneliness behind the rebellion.

Reading it again doesn’t just change how you see Holden—it changes how you see your younger self.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

When this book was assigned, it often felt like a grim story about kids going wild. All the fighting, the fear, the conch—what was the point?

Now, though, the deeper meaning becomes clearer. It’s a story about power, society, and how fast things can fall apart without rules.

The descent into chaos isn’t just dramatic—it’s disturbing. Especially when you realize how possible it all feels.

What felt like chaos before now feels like a sharp look at human nature. And honestly?

It’s more terrifying as an adult than it ever was as a kid.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Books being banned and burned? That concept was interesting, but the story might have felt a little slow back then. The symbolism could get lost behind the pages of required reading.

Now, though, it hits harder.

The fear of losing access to knowledge, of technology replacing thought, of society choosing comfort over truth—it all feels relevant.

Bradbury’s world doesn’t feel so far-fetched anymore. And suddenly, the fireman with a flamethrower seems like the ultimate tragic figure.

It’s a reminder of how easy it is to let ideas slip away. And how important it is to hold on to them.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Back in high school, this was usually remembered as “that monster story.” The deeper questions about science, ethics, and human responsibility often got missed.

As an adult, Frankenstein’s creature isn’t just a monster. He’s a misunderstood being, shaped by rejection and loneliness.

The book becomes less about horror and more about heartbreak. And you realize Mary Shelley was way ahead of her time when she wrote it—at just 18 years old.

It’s a story about creation, abandonment, and what happens when we fear what we don’t understand.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

For many teens, this book felt like a confusing tangle of people yelling at each other on the moors. Heathcliff wasn’t exactly boyfriend material.

And Catherine?

A bit much.

But over time, readers start to see the emotional storm beneath the chaos. It’s a wild, gothic tale of obsession, revenge, and broken hearts.

It’s still dramatic, sure—but now it’s easier to appreciate the intensity, the writing, and just how bold this story really is.

The raw emotions, the atmosphere, the darkness—they all make sense once you’ve lived through some heartbreak of your own.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

When read too young, this book can feel like a weird story about talking animals taking over a farm. The deeper political message might not stick the first time.

But come back to it as an adult, and you’ll see it for the sharp satire it is.

Every pig, every slogan, every betrayal carries weight.

It’s a quick read, but it cuts deep. And it makes you think about how power can twist even the best intentions into something dark.

You won’t look at a barnyard the same way again.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

In high school, this one sometimes got lumped into the “boring romance” pile. But it’s so much more than that.

Jane is one of the most quietly strong characters in literature. She faces cruelty, loss, and loneliness—but always sticks to her sense of self.