Truthiness in Reading

Once my teacher told me that you can't consider yourself a real student of English literature until you've read pretty much everything Shakespeare ever wrote. I guess that officially makes me a “poseur”. I like bits of Shakespeare. I really like certain plays, such as Macbeth and Richard III and The Taming of the Shrew and The Merchant of Venice. But Hamlet? Romeo and Juliet? Come on. They remind me of bad teen angst movies, possibly starring Judd Nelson.
The first time I ever heard or read Shakespeare was during my school days, ofcourse part of it’s curriculum. Later I've tried to read it a few times, but I feel this black cloud descend on me every time, and initially I never get past the first seventy or so pages. I had to fake my way through the book, which meant grilling my friends and, of course, reading the ending he he! Gradually things developed,got taste on it and from then the road never seem ending.
Soon I came across some of Jamyang Norbu’s. Guys! I simply loved his books! It was when The Mandala of Sherlock Holmes crossed my path a year ago, I was going to be taken in again. Now, I can sense public opinion about my taste shifting even as I write this. And I know that a lot of otherwise right-minded souls didn't care for it, either. Which, you know, fine. Well, I have no idea how I managed to bluff my way through this point.....