If someone asked me which book I wish I had never read, my answer would be - The Catcher in the Rye. It sounds rather cliched, but still, my answer would have been the same had I been asked to name my favorite book.
The book seems cursed. Yes, I say it again - cursed . It's like a frightening truth that lures you into revealing it to yourself. However, it's the truth you ought to know, and you just can't ignore it and remain a phony all your life.
Sadly, it has one of the most innocent protagonists - Holden Caulfield. So much so that one feels bad for him to be associated with the all the bad publicity the book has got. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/301077.stm)
I was reading an obituary of J.D.Salinger where the author had written how so many American teenagers' interior life approximated to that of the 'teen hero' in the book, Holden Caulfield's. The phrase 'teen hero' stood out to me for it's sheer oddity. I can't recollect a more oddly placed phrase in any of my recent readings. Imagine Holden's reaction on being called a teen hero - "He was this handsome young teen. They called him a teen hero and all."
Holden Caulfield is not a teen hero. He is a part of us - the normal people- who are not always confident, who are annoyed by stupidity, who make mistakes and regret later, who can't always muster the courage to say things that they want to, who, at times, want to run away from everything but can't because they all have an old Phoebe to think of. He is there in the soft spoken spin bowler, the all-renouncing retro-spectator, the beautiful princess, the ever upbeat sportsman, the all witty genius, the kid , the happy girl, the employee, all of them.
The multilingual critics never found the book a work of literary art, and the well-read, degree-educated elite class still discards it as just another middle class rant. However, Catcher in the Rye remains one of the most influential books of our times.
Rest in peace J.D Salinger.
some comments at -
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=7454&start=75&edition=2&ttl=20100205100532
I read Catcher last year as part of my Higher English course and loved very word. As a 16 year old male, while reading it, it does still relate to teenages of today. It is an amzing novel and one of the best. I really do hate reading, yet every time we read on I wanted to continue on.
When studying it properly you discover the deeper meanings of the novel better, rather than just reading; Salinger regularly uses symbolism to create a much large image and meaning of 'The Catcher in the Rye'
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"Maybe it's a generational thing but I and most people I work with are degree-educated, often multi-lingual, and fairly well-read.
None of them know or care about Salinger, and I must admit, I find the coverage baffling."
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As a strange litigious malcontent recluse whose best known book inspired the assassination of John Lenon and the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan.
Catcher in the Rye isn't a patch on his short stories - "A good day for bananafish" remains my favourite.
http://thephoenix.com/Boston/arts/96659-jd-salinger-1919-2010/
Friday, February 5, 2010
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