fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #3986 ]

[ SECRET POST #3986 ]

⌈ Secret Post #3986 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I have two - Catcher in the Rye and The Scarlet Letter.

Holden is obnoxious and unlikeable. Yes, he's a teenager, but there are loads of books with teenaged main characters on journeys about discovering life where they aren't totally gormless. He just wanders around, making poor decisions and being generally abusive, especially towards women (yes, in fairness, he is also the victim at times). The plot is just not there for me. I don't know. Maybe I just don't get Salinger's point, because I certainly don't see one.

The Scarlet Letter is just boring and sanctimonious. I get the message, but I have problems with how Hawthorne is trying to convey it. Yes, part of the problem is I'm reading a very old book in the modern era, but still. I don't see why school children are continually subjected to that dreary thing.

The Scarlet Letter is a 19th century American novel written in a 17th century American style, and almost everything that came out of 17th century America is either brain-breakingly boring or way too religious (yes, more religious than The Scarlet Letter.) So every time an American literature class wants to cover the 17th century, they drag out The Scarlet Letter as an example of the style.

At least it's not Chaucer? Although, if I recall, Chaucer at least made some jokes...

Eh, I like what I’ve read of Chaucer. The Pardoner’s Tale in particular reminds me of something Rod Serling might write.

I haven't read much of it. I'm not a big poetry person. Also Chaucer wanders into the territory of me having to sit and figure out what he's saying at times, which isn't my favorite. I like easy flow of words, especially on my end.

Also, I just put something together in my mind that I never would have considered before. Gormless young loser failing to deal with his mental health problems? The modern equivalent to The Catcher in the Rye is Welcome to the NHK. Which means modern Holden Caulfield is an agoraphobic otaku with a hentai addiction.

Well, then that'll be a book I won't touch. 0.o

I was put off by Holden's attitudes towards women a lot. It's obviously been ages since I read it, but maybe the parallel I'd make is that Holden is a prime candidate for being a Gamergate bro. *shrugs*

I'll go on record and admit I'm seemingly one of the few people online who'll admit they related to Holden back when they read Catcher in the Rye as a teenager.

It's cool, I'll be another one of those few people. I don't remember what it was specifically since I haven't read it since then, but he felt autistic to me and I related to that.

Yeah, that's what most people say who liked the book - they related to Holden very strongly. I'm not saying I was without angst and indecision and gormlessness when I was a teenager - of course I had all that going on, as we all do. I just felt like the book slogged on about all that without any forward movement. We grew up and (hopefully) left most of that behind us. Holden showed no signs of that character progression. I didn't find his institutionalization (an outward force) to be a sign of good things to come, so he was obnoxious at the beginning and presumably medicated at the end. That was not satisfying growth to me.

I'm not at all surprised.

From my understanding, Holden was meant to be an unlikeable prick who also had severe depression. Not that I don't agree that he's obnoxious and unlikeable.

See, this is the reason that I don't watch soap operas or similar dramas where all the people are unlikable liars/thieves/cheaters/what-have-you. Why would I want to spend my limited time with awful people who are doing awful things to each other? If I'm reading or watching something, I don't have to like what the main character does all the time, but I have to root for them on *some* level. It's not enjoyable otherwise.

Clearly, other people feel differently. That's understandable.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ SECRET POST #3986 ]

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