The Catcher in the Rye
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Just finished Catcher in the Rye. What am I missing?
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Quite possibly it is a generation thing. Your father comes from a different perspective than you and lived through events and times you only have read about. It is fine that you don't agree and don't "get it". I can think of many things today that I see and read that is completely alien to me. That is fine too.
I am sure you will find something you enjoy better in another read.
Cheers!
KabirRaut wrote: "Look at any list of classic American novels and you're bound to see this book right near the top. I've seen in this sub threads about it aiding posters' transitions into adulthood, or connecting wi..."Catcher in the Rye is a book I didn't read in high school. For years, I thought I should get around to reading it. I was missing something in the literary world if I didn't. No-- I wasn;t missing out on anything. I read it about a year ago, and could tell you nothing about it now. Big letdown. Nothing unique. Just another story in my opinion.
Clifford wrote: "...Nothing unique. Just another story... ."Yeah, I guess child prostitution (Sunny) and Stradlater's date rape are just ho-hum stuff in today's fast-paced world.
Grips wrote: "Keely covered it pretty well in my opinion."Keely's own declaration of intent--"I am a critic--which is to say I am in possession of a poetic licence to kill."--disqualifies him as an unbiased critic. But to each his own.
I read the book early this year and I, too, found nothing interesting nor profound about it. I had to read it for my literature class, and I was subsequently surprised to discover that some of my classmates actually liked it. I guess it's really just about how much the reader can relate to the way the protagonist thinks and narrates his adventures. As for me, the subjects that the book dealt with were so poorly written that it prevented me from actually getting to reflect on their content.
Sara wrote: the subjects that the book dealt with were so poorly written that it prevented me from actually getting to reflect on their content."Would you care to supply an example or two of what you consider "poorly written"?
Monty J wrote: "Sara wrote: the subjects that the book dealt with were so poorly written that it prevented me from actually getting to reflect on their content."Would you care to supply an example or two of what..."
I read this book in 2019 and i also didn't like it very much. I don't know about them, but i also have the feeling that was poorly written, and by that i mean:
I get that this book did something new and revolutionary for it's time. By the end of the book, you learn that Holden is actually depressed by the death of his brother and hasn't gotten over it yet (among other factors).
But i feel that the author could have made that point with a different type of writting, or by writting the story differently- making a character repeat the same expressions over and over and over, and rant without any sense about some stupid tiny things, doesn't make you connect with the character at all. Maybe if Holden actually spoke a tiny bit about how he felt throughout the story, and in the end you get him actually dealing with his problems, getting through it, would have been more useful for teens. Instead he just represses and represses; which is also a good thing, because if you read it and feel like him, by the end you might realise there might be something going on with you. Nevertheless i still would have liked to read about his recovery, or about him expressing his feelings a bit more.
By the end of the book i did feel sorry for Holden, because then i understood why he acted and behaved like that. Despite that, i still think he is annoying, and the fact that the book is mostly just Holden's thoughts on everything, makes it hard for the reader not to hate him if they don't connect with the beginning.
From my point of view, The Perks of Being a Wallflower (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) is far more enjoyable for this generation and has a similar plot: no spoilers, but the character is also depressed, there is an underlying trauma...and you actually care about the main character because he is not annoying. Maybe it's not as revolutionary and doesn't have as many metaphors, but on the other hand, it's easier to relate to, to see whats going on, and instead of just thoughts you also get a good story and interaction with other characters, the book is short, and more up-to-date.
Pervinca wrote: "Monty J wrote: "Sara wrote: the subjects that the book dealt with were so poorly written that it prevented me from actually getting to reflect on their content."Would you care to supply an exampl..."
I absolutely agree with everything you said. I couldn't reply instantly to the previous comment, because I read the book in Italian and finding a copy in English to prove my point would've taken time that I didn't have, but I think you explained it perfectly. I consider "poorly written" a book that only people who connect 100% with the protagonist's way of thinking can enjoy.
i loved this book, i found Holden a very relatable character. i was engrossed with the book towards the beginning, but towards the end, however, I grew tired of his character as it seemed to me that there was no character progression whatsoever. I dont know, maybe that wasn't the point of the book,
Pervinca wrote: "By the end of the book, you learn that Holden is actually depressed by the death of his brother and hasn't gotten over it yet (among other factors)."(Thanks for posting your perceptions.)
Holden also was torn up over the suicide of his dorm-mate, James Castle, who bailed out of his dorm window wearing the sweater Holden had loaned him.
The novel was the first book I ever read that deals with child prostitution and teenage date rape. Holden heroically fought his physically superior roommate, Stradlater, because he suspected him of sexually abusing a girl he knew, Jane Gallagher.
The book dealt with teenage mental illness long before PTSD was even a diagnosis. Holden was falling apart (barely "holding" on), and nobody but Phoebe and Mr. Antolini (including many readers) cared because of his acting out. They didn't understand, nor wanted to. Who gives a rats about a spoiled rich kid?
Today, people with PTSD often get in trouble with the law for throwing rage tantrums. People don't like them because of the way they're acting. If we take a close look at Holden, we get a lesson in psychology. We don't have to like him to be intrigued by his frustrations and learn from him. That's what fascinates me as an adult reader, but as a 19-year-old the first time I read the book, I couldn't stand the guy because I was living many of Holden's frustrations.
The book cannot be absorbed with one reading. You have to go back through and analyze it. The book was way ahead of its time.
Monty J wrote: "Pervinca wrote: "By the end of the book, you learn that Holden is actually depressed by the death of his brother and hasn't gotten over it yet (among other factors)."(Thanks for posting your perc..."
Thank you for giving me another perspective on the character and his behaviour. Maybe I will read this book a few years from now and change my mind on it.
I didn't come from that time, nor from the Northeast, nor from a wealthy New England family, so you might think that I wouldn't have appreciated this book either. However, I have seen a lot of TV and movies -- and spoiled private school brats like Holden are a standard character type nowadays. I imagine him as very like one of the boys from Dead Poets Society. So I really don't have any problem getting him and understanding the context. I don't know if that helps.The other problem for the modern reader is that this story-type (the spoiled rich kid disillusioned by his privileged life and rejecting it) has been done many times over since Catcher in the Rye. It's a familiar story, and as modern readers we see nothing groundbreaking in it. But it was in fact one of the first mainstream novels to criticize the wealthy privileged East-coast lifestyle from the point of view of an angry yet highly intelligent kid.
Keeping these kinds of contextual facts in mind helped me to appreciate and enjoy the book.
Monty J wrote: "Pervinca wrote: "By the end of the book, you learn that Holden is actually depressed by the death of his brother and hasn't gotten over it yet (among other factors)."(Thanks for posting your perc..."
Thank you for sharing you thoughts on this, you gave me another point of view! I do understand that it was revolutionary at it's time, and that it deals with various mental health issues. For me, it was hard to relate to Holden because i didn't know what was going on, and when i knew, it was too late. I think that the people who enjoy this book the most are the ones that know, that feel what Holden is going through, thus making it a bit harder for the rest of us.
I agree that this books requires more than one read in order to get all that is really going on- probably once you know the ending you start to see the signs of what's going on with Holden earlier in the story and you start making sense out of it, things like that.
While i'd love to do a re-read, it's gonna have to wait- I still don't like Holden's way of expressing himself very much, i found it tiring. I still think that a final scene of him opening up about what's going on and talking about his feelings, bursting out, crying, etc, would have improved the story quite a lot.
Maybe in a few years i change my mind, who knows!
Monty J wrote: "KabirRaut wrote: "Look at any list of classic American novels and you're bound to see this book right near the top. I've seen in this sub threads about it aiding posters' transitions into adulthood..."Thank you for your insightful review of The Catcher in the Rye. It's the best one I've read on this deceivingly complex and often misunderstood work. I've read it twice as an adult.
See I didn't finished the book but from what I've read, I found Holden to be extremely naive and even more than that absolutely egocentric, everyone is wrong except for him. And the thing is that what he complains about shows how little common sense he has. For example when he goes to the bar at the hotel and tries to dance with one of the girls(which they know he's just a kid) he begins a monologue about how they are crazy for not wanting him... and then in the next chapter he can have sex with a prostitute because she doesn't love him(like what?? really). He doesn't get that the girl suffers to make money and he critiques her for being that way, which a sane person would find empathy for she is dealing with much harder stuff than him.
I completely understand that. He's only sixteen years old. He's a boy. The only life experience he has had is tragic and final and his brain doesn't stop. It's as if he is experiencing what we know today as PTSD. He talks big to hide his confusion, frustration, and internal panic.
Rafael wrote: "See I didn't finished the book but from what I've read, I found Holden to be extremely naive and even more than that absolutely egocentric, everyone is wrong except for him. And the thing is that w..."Sunny's journey isn't necessarily harder than Holden's. Holden is severely emotionally disturbed and he's dealing with life the best way he knows how. He isn't ready to have sex with someone he doesn't know. He finds fault in many things and many people because his mind won't allow him to relax. He compulsively analyzes everything and is living with an internal hell.
Steve wrote: "Rafael wrote: "See I didn't finished the book but from what I've read, I found Holden to be extremely naive and even more than that absolutely egocentric, everyone is wrong except for him. And the ..."You were right I gave it a change and it was brilliant, he's not only dealing with the dead of his brother, but alienation, some kind of bi polar disorder, depression and anxiety. Now I think is not a book that reflects on the youth but life in general and who sometimes we feel like we don't belong
I'm glad you gave it another chance and found it worthwhile. Holden's view of the world is terrifying for him.
Catcher in the Rye, a story that's target audience was teenagers in a time when young adult fiction didn't exist. It was considered so controversial that lots of American schools banned it because of its “crude language”. For the generation this book came out in, it became a classic. mybkexperience mcdvoice
Absolutely my favourite book of all time. I have read it over many times since I first bought it at age 14. Holden is a troubled young guy who only seeks honesty and beauty in a world filled with sadness, hypocrisy and ugliness. His parents have shipped him off to boarding school and he sees through all the bullshit. He adores Phoebe and Jane as they represent innocence and light - those things he longs for in his own life. All of the characters represent the darker elements of humanity. At the end, we find out he has written his story from a mental hospital, as he has had a breakdown. I cannot understand how anyone could not enjoy this profound and moving story. Wow.
It's just VERY original. That's what I liked about it. I haven't read another book quite like it. Originality in art is everything.
I have read the book while I was on college and it was a pure revelation for me. Holden was a male version of me at that time and this is the reason why I liked it so much. Perfect match of the moment, my inner state and a book. If I read it nowadays (10 years later), it probably would be another impression. However, its artistic qualities cannot be denied.
i feel that the author could have made that point with a different type of writting, or by writting the story differently- making a character repeat the same expressions over and over and over, and rant without any sense about some stupid tiny things, doesn't make you connect with the character at all.
Seems that you completely miss the point about Holden's character and his difficulties. Maybe try reading again in a few years.
While reading this, all I could think was, this is a rant book. It seemed all the character felt was that life was miserable and that's all that there is. Maybe I missed something. Maybe I didn't. Maybe this book is an escape for others, but for me it was a waste.
I am sad that people miss the point of Holden's story. At the end, we find out that he is telling the story from a mental hospital, and that after all of these experiences he had a nervous breakdown Very poignant as he sees through the phoniness of people and wants to protect the innocent, represented by his sister Phoebe. Love Holden - this is probably my favourite book ever.
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The novel stumps a lot of first readers. My review and analysis should help: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...