The Catcher in the Rye
by J.D. Salinger
Book Read on 26 / 6 / 2006
I hadn't read this book in a while, but it kept popping up in conversation. So I figured it could be kismet and I picked up a copy and read it. Maybe I'm just not that good at analyzing books anymore. Or deconstructing them or whatever post-post-modern thing that is the trend in literature classes right now, so my opinions may not be very hip. "The Catcher in the Rye" was funny at times and also very sad. The book reminded me a lot of being 16 years old. There were some interesting points made. Holden Caulfield is a bit of a Shakespearian tragic figure. He is racked with indecision and calls everyone a phony but is himself a phony, for example you can't berate Hollywood, like I do on my blog, and then go to a movie.
There are a few interesting quotes about the book that I would type here, but they are pretty long. Basically they were along the lines of: lots of great people have been disgusted with society and they have documented it, you need to find the size of your mind and fill it with thoughts that fit, and being brilliant and creative are great but they need to be complemented by being educated and scholarly. I am only giving it 3 stars because for such a classic, it was, well, pretty good. It wasn't Ulysses.
Reviewer: William Koplitz
3 out of 5