Re: What to make of Holden
AntiUtopia@aol.com
Thu, 05 Aug 1999 16:03:38 -0400 (EDT)
In a message dated 8/5/99 5:55:37 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
kennedyp@toronto.cbc.ca writes:
<<
Let me say from the beginning that I've never read the post-Structuralists
(or whatever we're supposed to call all the bullshit that's usually badly
translated from the French) or any of the other latter-day literary
theorists who, for my money, quite obviously enjoy masturbation much more
than they enjoy sex. What a bunch of hooey! -- Paul>>
I agree with just about your whole post (esp. reading other writers...and not
just one), but this gave me pause:
First rule of intellectual honesty is that if you haven't read an author, you
don't have a right to an opinion. It is true that much of post-structuralism
is maturbatory, but there's some pretty intelligent observations about
language and how it is used too (and what our use of language means).
Spouting opinions about a book, an author, or a philosophy wihout reading
primary sources first -- THAT'S hooey. No different from people counting the
number of "fuck yous" in Catcher and not bothering to read what they mean
within the context of the novel.
Jim
PS I've never read the archives myself :)