People
I wish…you could read letters you wrote 46 years ago. It is very painful reading.
— J.D. Salinger
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
The speaker describes reading letters from decades earlier as painful and wishes the listener could have that experience. The passage suggests discomfort in encountering one's earlier words, without specifying its cause. The long span of time gives that encounter a particular emotional weight.
Context reviewed