From the Bookshelf of Never too Late to Read Classics…

The Catcher in the Rye

J.D. Salinger

Start date: May 15, 2016

Finish date: June 14, 2016

Discussion: Children's Classics Buddy Reads

Discussion leader: Rosemarie

Why we're reading this: YA Classic came in 3rd in the Poll.
[close] YA Classic came in 3rd in the Poll.

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Jun 30, 2016 Josh Caporale rated it liked it · review of another edition

Seinfeld ruled 90s television's ratings and many argue that it was the greatest sitcom of all-time, embracing that it was "a show about nothing." The Catcher in the Rye is a random novel written in the early 50s by a J.D. Salinger, whose career was not very prolific and his novel has since become a book on 99.99% of high school curriculums that just about everyone reads. This is what I see as being "a novel about nothing." However, the idea that Seinfeld follows the life and times of Jerry Seinf Seinfeld ruled 90s television's ratings and many argue that it was the greatest sitcom of all-time, embracing that it was "a show about nothing." The Catcher in the Rye is a random novel written in the early 50s by a J.D. Salinger, whose career was not very prolific and his novel has since become a book on 99.99% of high school curriculums that just about everyone reads. This is what I see as being "a novel about nothing." However, the idea that Seinfeld follows the life and times of Jerry Seinfeld and his gang and The Catcher in the Rye follows Holden Caulfield brings about the postmodern argument that there really is nothing special about any given life and that in the life of the common man, others will simply see it as nothing. In the case of a teenager, who in many cases life is all about them, the postmodern argument displays otherwise. This novel was written right at the peak of postmodernism, too.

Let's talk about Holden Caulfield. I saw him as being a clear misfit and a bad influence. He smoked, drank underage, lied to get his way, got into fights, failed in all except one of his classes, and was just plain rude to just about everyone he came across. He is telling the story and he does not really defend his actions, which I feel cannot be defended. The one thing that really stuck out to me, though, was his love for his siblings. He had a clear sense of affection for his deceased younger brother, Allie, and his living and feisty younger sister, Phoebe. His older brother, D.B., was a Hollywood screenwriter, whom he liked, but tended to find a bit over the top. His interactions and moments where he was with Phoebe are clearly the best parts of the novel. Holden engages in plenty of adventures that are scattered across the novel without a driving plot. He meets teachers at their homes, engages in banters with his roommates, dances with women about ten years older, meets with nuns, and comes into contact with a prostitute... and it really amounts to nothing.

While The Catcher in the Rye can definitely be relatable to teens and strikes chords where it is designated to do so, I cannot say that this was an enjoyable novel and that Holden Caulfield was an enjoyable character. Then again, I am 24 and would never engage in most of the things Holden did. The two of us have nothing in common, but still, I could not see where Holden would be likable. He has traits that people can relate to, but they are clearly not for me.

The most I could recommend The Catcher in the Rye for is a light rent or a cheap buy. I do not find this to be a full price buy nor do I feel that teachers should be held to the standard of assigning this novel. I would much rather prefer that Robert Cormier's novels, specifically I Am The Cheese if we want something with a similar tone to this novel, be assigned instead. Cormier's novels are much more honest AND straightforward than The Catcher in the Rye and I feel that this is what should be displayed in what is assigned in high school. This looks much more like a random selection.

It can also be assured that Mark David Chapman is just a renowned cuckoo. Why this novel would inspire him to kill John Lennon is beyond my wildest beliefs...

You can find the discussion I had about this book on Literary Gladiators here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6QMD... ...more

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Jan 03, 2015 Wave rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, young-adult, classics, classic-literature, books-that-made-me-cry

If you really want to know...

Why I read this is because of J.D. Salinger. I was intrigued by this man's mystery of his life. I finally got to see the documentary and knew I had to read this.
Did you know the author incorporated himself in this book?

I think this is one of the best literature I've ever read, it was so moving, so relatable to how I felt when I was Holden's age. As you read the book you will start to really get inside his head and understand him. I was so moved at the end of the bo ...more

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