Yes, torture. The worst for me was still having to do this in HIGH SCHOOL, and the kids being just as AWFUL at it. I was always in supposed honors classes, and they still decided it would be great for us to read it out loud. If I ever have to hear someone struggle through Huckleberry Finn or The Crucible one more time, I might go unconcious. I really feel it unnecessary to spend more than one day reading The Crucible to begin with.