The way Kindle books work is that you have the option of seeing the passages other readers have considered especially valuable. If more than 2 people have highlighted a quote, you can see it.
In Jonathan Franzen ‘ s novel The Corrections there are very few highlighted quotes. That’s not surprising since the novel is an exercise in extreme superficiality. One passage, however, struck the readers as so important that hundreds of them underlined it.
In the passage, the protagonist is thinking about her middle-aged children, and arrives at the following tragic realization:
They didn’t want the things that she and all her friends and all her friends’ children wanted. Her children wanted radically, shamefully other things.
When I think of those hundreds of stupid dumbasses who felt compelled to highlight the earth – shattering bit of news that 40 – year-old people are human beings even though they are somebody’s children, I feel very sad.
People create all kinds of idiocies to torture themselves and others instead of simply enjoying life. Your children are alive? Healthy? Then just unclench already, you stupid fuck, and go do something useful with your life instead of lamenting the very evidence that they exist.
Clarissa's Blog 
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