Catcher in the Rye

Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. New York: Bantam, 1985.

How many times have you read this book? I’ve lost count. Because I ran out of things to read over the weekend (Continental Drift wasn’t in yet) I picked this one back up. We have it at home because, ironically, my husband stole it from his high school. What an appropriate book to walk out with (he never cared for school either). Everyone should have a copy of Catcher in the Rye no matter how they get their hands on it.

I didn’t write a review for LibraryThing. What more could I say that hasn’t already been said by 200 people (and risk getting one of those “not a review” things)?
Holden Caufield is a contradiction in terms. He gets annoyed or hates everyone around him pretty easily, yet he hungers for attention, companionship, and isn’t afraid to admit his shortcomings. He swears frequently yet is offended by a “fukc you” on the wall of his kid sister’s school. I’ve read reviews claiming Holden has “mental issues” or is “a brat.” But, consider the circumstances – he’s a 16 year old kid who just got kicked out of another preppy boarding school. His parents aren’t really involved in his life and his still grieving over the loss of his brother (to leukemia). I wasn’t perfect at 16 and I think if I had been just a little braver, I would have been a little more rebellious, too.

BookLust Twist: From Book Lust twice: once in “Boys Coming of Age” (p 45) and again in “100 Good Reads, Decade by Decade: 1950s (p 177).

Funny side story: on the morning I decided to reread Catchermy husband was playing with my ipod, getting my music ready for the race. I stood there, book in hand, listening to itunes’ 30 second sample of “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel (thanks, Manda!) and heard the line about Catcher in the Rye. Spotting the coincidence I showed kisa the book. It freaked him out a little, especially when I told him I had no idea he was going to play the clip, nor that Catcher would be mentioned in that brief 30 seconds.