General Discussion

Syzygy321

(583 posts)

26. Yes - agreed - but that's not what bothers me.

Tue Aug 25, 2015, 10:36 AM

Aug 2015

I have no prob reading about nasty characters. Even fairy tales have villains, otherwise, yawnn!

It's different when a certain race/class/gender is stereotyped in a one-note way, and when readers are expected to cheer/sympathize with ugly stuff.

Nothing wrong with having a Nurse Ratchet run the asylum and be nasty and hard-ass.

Nothing wrong, even, with having a main character be a woman-hater or sexist. As long as that's acknowledged in-novel as a flaw and not celebrated.

Lots of novels are sexist just because of the times they were written in. I mean, I LOVELOVELOVE Les Miserables, but talk about female stereotypes!!! Every time i reread it I grit my teeth over the icky characterization of females (and point this out to my kid who is also reading it), and I feel slightly annoyed by the author - and then get on with loving the book.

OFOTCN just pushed all my buttons, repeatedly.

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Highlight:

Duke U boycott and "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest": love it or hate it? [View all] Syzygy321 Aug 2015 OP

This is an excellent OP. yardwork Aug 2015 #1

Fabulous study of human nature and psychology. nt ladjf Aug 2015 #2

Don't remember much about the movie, loved Delos V Smith and now love his legacy... pipoman Aug 2015 #3

One of the best book adaptions of the New Hollywood era. Best Nicholson role. leveymg Aug 2015 #4

What you do here (offer a good critique of the book) deutsey Aug 2015 #5

Agree totally. Syzygy321 Aug 2015 #8

I like this post. PufPuf23 Aug 2015 #6

Thanks for sharing your story. Syzygy321 Aug 2015 #44

Very forward thinking 11th grade. Clearly you were in the US. Your other OP said you lived in Bluenorthwest Aug 2015 #7

No - I am American-born and raised. I said I Syzygy321 Aug 2015 #12

The photographer Alex Potter visits Yemen, she has in fact returned to the US. Bluenorthwest Aug 2015 #17

Hmm. I read it in HS, went back to it in my mid 20's Syzygy321 Aug 2015 #21

The religiously traditional communities I have known did not have 11th grade kids reading Kesey. Bluenorthwest Aug 2015 #34

I heard an NPR report while driving to Cinci. Syzygy321 Aug 2015 #36

Your comment about "forward-thinking" reminds me Syzygy321 Aug 2015 #16

Yeah, well it's rude of you to suggest that I am arguing against the reading of books. Bluenorthwest Aug 2015 #18

What!! No - my comment was not directed at you; Syzygy321 Aug 2015 #20

If I give a reading assignment and the subject matter offends them the student does not have to.. BlueJazz Aug 2015 #9

Students should be free to opt out without retribution. reformist2 Aug 2015 #13

Can you see any downsides to that policy - Syzygy321 Aug 2015 #14

They would get an F. The same as if I were a science teacher and assigned a book about a ... BlueJazz Aug 2015 #15

I loved that book and the movie. cwydro Aug 2015 #10

The only one of his that I know is the one Syzygy321 Aug 2015 #23

Yes, he usually treats his female characters well. cwydro Aug 2015 #24

Yes - agreed - but that's not what bothers me. Syzygy321 Aug 2015 #26

I understand what you're saying. cwydro Aug 2015 #30

Haha, I haven't read him in forever, Syzygy321 Aug 2015 #31

I know, right? cwydro Aug 2015 #32

I think my fave is still "old man and the sea". Yours? Syzygy321 Aug 2015 #33

This message was self-deleted by its author Warren DeMontague Aug 2015 #40

Thanks for the tip. Syzygy321 Aug 2015 #41

This message was self-deleted by its author Warren DeMontague Aug 2015 #42

"Children of Dune" or "Mankind really should be superstitious simpletons" DetlefK Aug 2015 #11

This message was self-deleted by its author Warren DeMontague Aug 2015 #43

I'm not sure if you read the fourth book, but that isn't the golden path Kurska Aug 2015 #47

I chose my screen name because I identify . . . R. P. McMurphy Aug 2015 #19

Thanks Mr. Mcmurphy! Syzygy321 Aug 2015 #22

Something I didn't know: this was a summer reading list and not required for a class alarimer Aug 2015 #25

Many students fail to understand college HassleCat Aug 2015 #27

Yep Syzygy321 Aug 2015 #28

Saw the movie, didn't read the book fadedrose Aug 2015 #29

This message was self-deleted by its author Warren DeMontague Aug 2015 #35

Tried that. He said, "I wrote a book?" Syzygy321 Aug 2015 #37

This message was self-deleted by its author Warren DeMontague Aug 2015 #39

Kesey was a stoned asshole, the book sucked, and the movie sucked. Archae Aug 2015 #38

I'm not impressed with any story that casts prayin4rain Aug 2015 #45

I loved that book when I read it decades ago in high school! struggle4progress Aug 2015 #46