Thread: Do you know of any novels specifically about a slacker or loafer?

Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson. Not a novel, but the stories are all told from the same point of view (Fuckhead).

Originally Posted by BabaYaga

What's interesting is the different interpretations we all seem to have of 'slacker'- although I also thought 'Catcher in the Rye' when I first read the thread header.

I never saw McCandless as a traditional slacker, maybe because I associate the word more with someone who happily sponges off others to pursue their goal-lessly hedonistic lifestyle, and he wasn't like that (at least, as far as I could tell from the book).

Withnail and I, however, I heartily agree with. Total slackers. Actor-slackers even, the worst kind.

I agree, McCandless wasn't a traditional slacker if you consider his motivation. His was closer to a zen-like, almost Buddhist path.

Though, if we're speaking of motivation, then I feel Holden from Catcher in the Rye was not a traditional slacker either.

Both McCandless and Holden were rejecting the aspects of modern culture and society which they felt they themselves were not compatible with.

Interesting to think about.. It begs the question, "What is a slacker?" Does motivation play a role in the definition?

It is not a novel (although very loosely based on one: The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler), but the main character in The Big Lebowski is a complete slacker.