I chose this for my 10 Books 10 Decades reading challenge because I watched the movie adaptation decades ago in a film class and recalled enjoying it. But it turns out that without Dustin Hoffman’s compelling and comedic performance and the Simon and Garfunkel soundtrack … the words alone on the page are … not very good. Particularly after the affair with Mrs. Robinson when Benjamin starts to pursue her daughter, the pacing, dialogue and plot development are shockingly absurd.