The catcher in the rye

[Otage]

Has anyone read the book catcher in the rye, and felt like "that's like. I can so relate to that". Does anyone get what the book is about? Is it depression or what? I feel like the guy in the book if I'm not drunk...

 

[Casanova]

I think the literary world would fall in two categories, those who love Holden and those who can't seem to fully understand him. I can definitely relate with Holden. He probably represents a large number of insecure adolescent teens. He is more an anti-hero compared to most stories and he is a mirror of my younger days.

And you know what is funny? He may be an angry young guy, but his character is also similar to an angry old man which makes one think what's the difference between both besides age?

Love Catcher in the Rye, for a story that was challenged and banned in the past it is still relevant today.

 

[Otage]

I just feel lost and angry myself. Everythings wrong, and goals I've been going towards, in the end they give me nothing. And in this raised guidance, I can't anymore free myself, know what it was many years ago that I wanted to do. I thought I was strong where it counted, but now I see I was weak were it meant most. I feel like I only have the leftowers in life anymore. I feel I´ve grown old, when it was meant for me to be playing.

 

[newage]

i loved it, i felt bad for holden. I felt like him growning up,eventually I just decided to go through the motions....I'm not brave enough to make the choices he made.

 

[Sinnerr]

It's nice book. I think almost everyone can find something what has with Holden in common. For example I was similar type of student :-D

 

[Casanova]

i think its the most overated book ever well..except the bible lol

but fuck ive read it 5 times..sooo

Spoken like Holden himself. lolol :heart:

Personally War & Peace, Finnegan's Wake, Atlas Shrugged, Da Vinci code, and a some of the classic and modernist lit are way more overrated than Catcher in The Rye.

I think Sinnerr said something true.. there is a bit of Holden in almost all of us.

I've only read it twice though.. When I was a teen as I was relating to him, and a year ago when I simply was looking back at myself. Usually the second time around you tend to dislike the Catcher in the Rye, but I quite enjoyed it even more

 

[BearGut4Yngr]

I only read the Cliff notes in high school. Been meaning to read it some day.

 

[tonka]

I read it as a teenager. I very much identified with Holden.
I expect for most people it''s something you need to read at that "Holden" time of life.

 

[curiousboybr]

I read it as a teenager expecting the kind of story that I would indentify with and was hugely disappointed. IMO, this is just another book about teenage crisis with an annoying guy complaining about every single thing in the world. I have nothing against criticising society and people's general behaviours, as long as its well done, which I don't believe is the case of the catcher in the rye. Sorry, I really hated Holden.

 

[bjlegs]

I've read the book. Absolutely hated it. Hated the main character, hated the writing style. One of the most painful irritating books I've ever read. Glad I did read it though, but imho it's over rated.
In terms of classic American literature, I much preferred To Kill a Mockingbird.

 

[Sinnerr]

ehm. I wonder why anybody reads book which is irritating, painful.... etc. If I'm not interested after first 3 or 4 pages I jut put book out and never pick it again. Same in a film case or a music case.

 

[Casanova]

Well unless it is a book that had to be read at school you'd have no other choice but to read it, painful as it is. lol

@bjlegs - Funny you should mention this when To Kill a Mockingbird is listed as number 2 in overrated books after the Bible on a number of sites. But I'm not critiquing your PoV as I really enjoyed To Kill a Mockingbird and agree it is better than Catcher in the Rye for many reasons. Though many lit fans would say the story is bit dated.

@baggage - I knew you had an inner Holden hidden somewhere in you. lol

 

[Sinnerr]

Well unless it is a book that had to be read at school you'd have no other choice but to read it, painful as it is. lol

Oh so, in my country it's not required reading. So I have read it just voluntary. And I don't regret. Even think it was one from books what I read really quickly. It took 2 nights.

 

[logan222]

Only read it once in high school, and I remember I didn't like it because it made me feel depressed...and it was because it actually reminded me a lot about my own transition into adulthood. It's definitely a good book that teaches people about alienation and loss of innocence, but it sort of makes you more jaded about adulthood and maturity.

 

[sunandmoon]

ehm. I wonder why anybody reads book which is irritating, painful.... etc. If I'm not interested after first 3 or 4 pages I jut put book out and never pick it again. Same in a film case or a music case.

Quite some fiction is not meant to be entertaining.
Helps people somehow grow - often through pain and irritation.

 

[texas_69]

The interesting thing about Holden to me is how his attitudes, which were from the late 1940s, caught on in the late 60s. Salinger was, in a way, a prophet, I guess, at least as far as social change was concerned. His character was ahead of his time.

I think that Holden was probably depressed and out of sorts, but he has a poetic sensibility that makes him come alive--he values beauty and harmony, but does not know where to find it in a world that is scarred by war and atrocities. He says that if we drop another nuclear bomb, he wants to be sitting on it. That is a nihilistic point of view, but also brutally honest. Now we pretend these things don't exist and watch the Kardashians. At least he was honest.

 

[tombo487]

It's a wonderful book to me, but then I did not have to read it either. I discovered it in the school library aged maybe 16. I put it alongside another great book, AM Homes' novel Jack - has anyone read that?