http://www.theawl.com/ Be Less Stupid Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:36:11 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.2 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62759 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62759#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:36:11 +0000 hockeymom http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62759 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62759/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62729 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62729#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:51:42 +0000 growler http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62729 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62729/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62719 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62719#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:36:55 +0000 Legs Battaglia http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62719 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62719/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62706 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62706#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:05:15 +0000 Screen Name http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62706 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62706/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62696 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62696#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:47:56 +0000 sigerson http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62696 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62696/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62692 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62692#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:43:00 +0000 sigerson http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62692 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62692/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62675 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62675#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:18:48 +0000 SemperBufo http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62675 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62675/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62664 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62664#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:11:10 +0000 DoctorDisaster http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62664 Catcher too late. I picked it up at 16 or 17 because a few friends were going on and on about how great it was, as part of the typical pre-graduation nostalgic self-pity trip. I found Holden repugnant and solipsistic and generally hated every page. Inasmuch as I identified with the character, I recognized my worst impulses in him. So in a way, my rejection of the character was still a formative experience! I spent years in the suburbs, and a lot of the shittiness of that culture is personified in Holden, so it brought my attention to a lot of personality disorders I wanted nothing to do with. So, thanks for that, Salinger. I still think your book was a piece of crap, though.]]> Catcher too late. I picked it up at 16 or 17 because a few friends were going on and on about how great it was, as part of the typical pre-graduation nostalgic self-pity trip. I found Holden repugnant and solipsistic and generally hated every page. Inasmuch as I identified with the character, I recognized my worst impulses in him. So in a way, my rejection of the character was still a formative experience! I spent years in the suburbs, and a lot of the shittiness of that culture is personified in Holden, so it brought my attention to a lot of personality disorders I wanted nothing to do with. So, thanks for that, Salinger. I still think your book was a piece of crap, though.]]> http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62664/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62636 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62636#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:38:56 +0000 maebefunke http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62636 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62636/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62618 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62618#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:21:03 +0000 Brad Nelson http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62618 The Catcher in the Rye ever again, but when I was 15 I read it roughly four times in a row. That book was my exact coordinates. For that, I'll value it and Salinger forever.]]> The Catcher in the Rye ever again, but when I was 15 I read it roughly four times in a row. That book was my exact coordinates. For that, I'll value it and Salinger forever.]]> http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62618/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62614 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62614#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:17:20 +0000 KeithTalent http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62614 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62614/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62612 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62612#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:15:14 +0000 kfon http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62612 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62612/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62611 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62611#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:14:19 +0000 hockeymom http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62611 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62611/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62609 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62609#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:12:11 +0000 Brad Nelson http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62609 "Holden's passivity is especially galling and perplexing to many present-day students," she wrote in an e-mail message. "In general, they do not have much sympathy for alienated antiheroes; they are more focused on distinguishing themselves in society as it is presently constituted than in trying to change it." The "rich kid vacation in NYC" critique is spot on, but some of the rest of the NYT article makes me feel like I've lost a war.]]> "Holden's passivity is especially galling and perplexing to many present-day students," she wrote in an e-mail message. "In general, they do not have much sympathy for alienated antiheroes; they are more focused on distinguishing themselves in society as it is presently constituted than in trying to change it." The "rich kid vacation in NYC" critique is spot on, but some of the rest of the NYT article makes me feel like I've lost a war.]]> http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62609/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62606 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62606#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:10:09 +0000 Screen Name http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62606 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62606/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62593 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62593#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:56:52 +0000 jfruh http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62593 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62593/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62588 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62588#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:51:15 +0000 incandenza http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62588 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62588/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62587 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62587#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:48:49 +0000 hockeymom http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62587 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62587/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62585 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62585#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:47:42 +0000 katiebakes http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62585 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62585/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62581 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62581#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:44:33 +0000 KarenUhOh http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62581 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62581/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62578 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62578#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:42:03 +0000 HiredGoons http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62578 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62578/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62577 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62577#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:41:31 +0000 HiredGoons http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62577 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62577/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62575 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62575#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:39:44 +0000 metoometoo http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62575 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62575/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62573 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62573#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:37:27 +0000 Dave Bry http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62573 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62573/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62571 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62571#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:36:46 +0000 maebefunke http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62571 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62571/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62554 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62554#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:28:08 +0000 cinetrix http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62554 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62554/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62551 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62551#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:26:29 +0000 Moff http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62551 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62551/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62550 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62550#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:25:29 +0000 atipofthehat http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62550 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62550/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62549 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62549#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:24:04 +0000 HiredGoons http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62549 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62549/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62546 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62546#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:23:33 +0000 hockeymom http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62546 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62546/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62545 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62545#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:23:16 +0000 HiredGoons http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62545 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62545/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62541 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62541#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:21:08 +0000 incandenza http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62541 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62541/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62538 http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62538#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:19:06 +0000 Rod T http://www.theawl.com/2010/01/reading-salinger#comment-62538 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