The Catcher in the Rye

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It's a hit!

when i first read 'The Catcher in the Rye' i thought it the most boring, distasteful and sadistic book i had ever read. that was a year ago, and i... (show more)

when i first read 'The Catcher in the Rye' i thought it the most boring, distasteful and sadistic book i had ever read. that was a year ago, and it took me ages to finish it.
then i started to think about it (for no other reason then boredom i suppose) and the character of Holden really started to bug me, but more importantly interest me, because of his outlook on life and others around him.
so i read it again and it just hit me that this is such a powerful book. it is as if Holden Caufield is a puppet, used by J.D Salinger, to show the irony in the way people percieve each other and percieve themselves in an isolated context.
the fact that Holden percieves everyone as dumb and ugly and most importantly phoney is like an inside joke that J.D Salinger shares with himself. Holden is all of those things, but most importantly he is desperately lonely and bored, which makes him become controlled and driven by the only emotion he has left, hardcore jealousy. he should be ashamed by his lack of achievements, his egotistical nature and his hatred for eveything around him, but instead he takes it out on everything around him, which creates short bursts of humour for himself, which to me seem deeply sadening as no one else in the book cares.

just as this book seems too depressing to even pick up, it has one ray of hope, Pheobe, his little sister. she is the only one who sees Holden as a hero, and this humbles Holden whenever he thinks about her or is in her presence, which shows the beauty of innocence and family love.

i actually think this is an amazing read for women aged 15-30. the jealousy and competetiveness that powers many girls (prettinesst/being the thinnest/richest) is really a reflection on the way Holden is shown in this book. if women were to step out of themselves, they would see similarities in themselves and Holden.

that being said, i think this is one of the best books i have ever read and is extremely importent in modern literature. (show less)

 

 

by Holly Macgregor

No, it's a flop!

I was definitely too old when I read this. At 24, I found Holden Caulfield to be annoying and whiny, and I desperately wanted him to get hit by a ... (show more)

I was definitely too old when I read this. At 24, I found Holden Caulfield to be annoying and whiny, and I desperately wanted him to get hit by a truck. (show less)

 

 

by Anonymous User

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  It kills me that people love this book. I think people who love this book are complete phonies. It makes me want to puke every time I hear someone say they love this book. Not only does it make me want to puke but I find it depressing as hell. I found nothing redeeming about old Holden. If you want to know the truth, I found the book to be average. Again, I'm sure all of the deep meaning was lost on me. Honestly though, if there were meaningful undertones in this book they were hidden ... (show more)

  It kills me that people love this book. I think people who love this book are complete phonies. It makes me want to puke every time I hear someone say they love this book. Not only does it make me want to puke but I find it depressing as hell. I found nothing redeeming about old Holden. If you want to know the truth, I found the book to be average. Again, I'm sure all of the deep meaning was lost on me. Honestly though, if there were meaningful undertones in this book they were hidden very deep. It is just 200 pages of old Holden annoying everybody he comes in contact with. (show less)

   

   

  by Dawn Pinchback on Jun 13, 2008 at 12:46AM

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  I have read Salinger's classic many times because his writing is so witty and clear, his characters feel like handmade, and the story is almost universal without any specific borders. This is a thoughtful study of the complicated problems facing all adolescents as they slowly but steadily mature into adulthood, and this is one of the many reasons why Salinger wisely chose to keep his narrative and prose plain which makes the book anything but simple for any to read.

  The story if full of an... (show more)

  I have read Salinger's classic many times because his writing is so witty and clear, his characters feel like handmade, and the story is almost universal without any specific borders. This is a thoughtful study of the complicated problems facing all adolescents as they slowly but steadily mature into adulthood, and this is one of the many reasons why Salinger wisely chose to keep his narrative and prose plain which makes the book anything but simple for any to read.

  The story if full of angst at the thought of rapidly approaching train of responsibility and freedom. Read it yourself and you'll understand what I mean by this. (show less)

   

   

  by Thomas Brand on Jan 29, 2008 at 10:00AM

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