The Catcher in the Rye question

Catcher in the Rye an assassination trigger;
After Mark David Chapman shot and killed John Lennon, he calmly opened up Catcher in the Rye and proceeded to read it — before being apprehended. John Hinckley, the man who attempted to kill Ronald Reagan, also was in possession of the book. It is also alleged Lee Harvey Oswald was quite fond of the book, though this is disputed.
While Catcher in the Rye may not have been designed to turn children into cold-blooded killers, it is true that the CIA conducted mind control experiments — some of them seemingly designed to trigger individuals into asssssination mode. The most well-known of these experiments was Project MKULTRA. This project lasted nearly 20 years, and is a catalogue of unethical…

Nothing attracted me to it aside from the fact that my mum said it was a must-read classic and she loved it years ago. Then, it ended up being one of my favorite books and Holden is one of my favorite fiction characters. I've read it 3 times. :)

I was first attracted to this book because my eldest son of 16 was wanting to read it. I let him read it and so I did as well.
I enjoy the raw energy and emotion that Holden generates.

I’ve only read it once and that was back when I was a junior in high school. It was very different tonally from anything else I read in school to that point (Shakespeare, Twain, epic poems etc) where the voice seemed much like my own age and reflected some of the sarcasm, disgust and vulnerability that any modern teenager would experience. I don’t know that I had ever experienced a novel confront those issues in such a direct way, especially through the voice of a narrator. I have meant to read it again as an adult, as I have heard it allows one to experience it differently.

It was a mandatory read in high school. Suffice to say, I loved it.

I found on of those 'every English major should read' lists, so I read it. And I couldn't relate to the character at all, he's rude and arrogant. I suppose it's a different perspective into the life of a teenage boy but it's not like this particular teenage boy made things easier for himself. Not a favorite and I would hesitate in reading it again.

it was required reading in my high school. Holden's issues whichever they be be are apparent in the first two chapters. The reader knows that is is one lonely, angry kid. I remember we spent a long time discussing Holden's visit to Mr. Antollini's.
I begin my summer reading with it every year. Whilst Holden is a not a character I like, or with whom I empathize, I find the book fascinating. I cannot say the same about The Great Gatsby, which I find about as exciting as watching paint dry.

I sympathise with Holden a lot. I don't crave company the way he seems to but some of his observations on life and people are things I remember thinking at his age. Also, if anything, I agree with him more the older I get. The phonies never go away!

one word: holden