The Catcher in the Rye question

I first read Catcher when I was 42. I didn't think it had much to do with being a teenager, not really. It's more about what it's like to be alive generally in a complex society like ours. The narrator just happens to be a teenager - but then, he had to be someone ...

Catcher in the Rye's much more like Jean-Paul Sartre's Nausea, or Albert Camus's The Outsider than it's like anything Kerouac or Tolkein - both of whom are much more obviously writing for teenagers - wrote.

Probably depends upon what frame of mind you are in when you read the novel, regardless of age. I liked it as a teenager and still like it as an adult. As an older person, I got more out of it because my own perspective had expanded. I believe this is the case with all children's and YA books.

I read this book for the first time earlier this year, shortly after turning 20. Holden's struggles to find himself resonated so deeply with me that it's now one of my favorite books. I'd heard of it before, but what finally made me decide to give it a shot was that my younger sister, age 16, had to read it for school and hated it. Any book that sparks such a strong emotion out of her is surely worth a read.

My sister and I are two entirely different people, though not without our similarities. I find it interesting that in our case, the teenager couldn't relate to Holden. She kept missing the point.

I think age does have a role in the audience's receptivity, but more than age is life experience. I would be interested to see if I can get my sister to re-read this book in a few years.

Yona wrote: "I think Holden's problems are ultimately a statement about the ways our institutions (such as schools) have failed, and in many ways I think that's a theme that's more and more relevant the older I get."

The book falls short of a full critique of educational institutions, but I agree that Salinger takes a bold swipe at them. See my Redroom.com bog on the subject: http://redroom.com/member/monty-heyin... for some insights.

I agree also that our institutions, especially in education, are failing us horribly. A good novel taking on the topic is badly needed.

Being forced to read this in grade school, it was somewhat interesting but I couldn't identify with the writer. I was too young.

I disagree. I read the book when I was fifteen and loved it. I felt like I could really relate to Holden. My sixty-three year old dad recently read it and he could also relate to Holden. Therefore it is my opinion that the book transcends generations. That is not to say that everyone has to like it, but that will be the case with any book.

I first read The Catcher in the Rye when I was 15. I was so fascinated with this book, I read it multiple times through out my high school years. I read it again as an adult, didn't have the same impact but still loved the book.

First read the book as a sophomore in high school. Instantly loved it, and have read it three or four more times over the last thirty years. Granted the book isn't for everyone, but it has had a lasting impact on me.