The biggest one I can think of is The Catcher in the Rye. It is a good book, and if someone likes The Catcher in the Rye it means they are well-read. If someone says it is their favorite book then they probably identify with it too much and missed the point.
What are some other examples of this that you know of?
which class required mein kampf??
In my case German class, in University. Together with “The Crisis of German Ideology: Intellectual Origin of the Third Reich” by George L. Mosse.
It was a multidisciplinary course focused on the history of fascism, totalitarianism, ultra nationalism, etc. taught through a combination of history, literature, and philosophy. I should have clarified that the entire text was not mandatory, however we did read and study a significant amount of excerpts from it. I went to a ‘college prep’ school on a needs scholarship, if that helps provide any context.