The Catcher in the Rye

[razz]

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[flaggwalkstheline]

Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger, is considered one of the most influential books of the 20th century. And it seems, we all want to know why.

I personally, am having many difficulties in getting into this book, so for now, I will post questions asked by fellow members (though paraphrased)
If anyone else has questions to add, PM them to me, and I will add them to this first post.

Member Questions:

1. How did you feel about the writing style of the book?

2. For what reason is this book so "hyped"?

3. Why do you think this book has become a modern classic?

expect more to come

1 I loved it, I adore this book

2 Holden is the first character of his kind, the wild antisocial young crazy person, he sets the archetype for characters like Gilbert Grape and Tyler Dirden

3 Because everyone who reads it finds something in it they identify with

[juliebcreative]

I honestly believe that you need to read this book while you're in high school...or that age or whatever. If I read it now, I don't think it would have the same impact.

[mae]

The style is half the point. I love literature with original writing styles (Palahniuk, Foer).

[candy]

I am flabbergasted that you guys like this book?
i hated it with a passion, (not very often i can say that about a book either)

1; i found the writing style to be awful, very lazy with overuse of words. i understand it was supposed to be written from the young mans point of view, but i found the whole style boring and irritating

2; i have no idea why this book is so hyped, the only thing i can think of is the people that have supposedly read it turned out to be infamous for the wrong reasons. i certainly wont be recommending it to anyone

3: ?god knows because i dont

i understand the whole 'different writing style' and i loved a clockwork orange for that, this book however, didn't have a style, it just repeated itself (much like me in this post)but this book didnt even have a story line. i cant even say i disliked holden, i just couldn't work myself up to care for him in any way.

the reason i hated the book, was i felt that i had wasted time reading it. i can honestly read any book and 99% of the time come away thinking i have got a least something from them. but this book just seemed to plod on and on and on. and for all that didn't actually get anywhere in the end.

i am honestly at a loss as to why it is billed as a 'classic of our time' and i am hoping someone can enlighten me?

[flaggwalkstheline]

i am honestly at a loss as to why it is billed as a 'classic of our time' and i am hoping someone can enlighten me?

because Holden Caulfield is the penultimate angry young futureless rebel and most people can identify with him either because they remember feeling like that or (in my case) still feel like that
the book was banned because of its foul language (which is actually not so bad at all) but the real reason it got in so much trouble was because of the way it presents a young man who is completely at odds with society in such a compelling manner that it unnerved the powers that be

[candy]

He didn't really strike me as a rebel though, more that he was very ill and seemed to be suffering from depression. with the 'i didn't feel like it' it just seemed like he had no energy and all his actions to me pointed to someone who wasn't setting out to be a rebel - it all seemed more like a cry for help.

[Seymour_Glass]

Well, being in high school, I'm gonna say that Holden Caufield is a distillation of something in me.

[flaggwalkstheline]

Well, being in high school, I'm gonna say that Holden Caufield is a distillation of something in me.

I'm outta highschool n I feel the same way

[Ka-mai]

My dad maintains that this book got famous because it was the first book to use the word "fuck." I'm not sure if he's right on that or not, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least. There is nothing interesting about this book at all. Just a whiny kid. Big deal. I mean, I'm more in touch with my childhood and teen years than a lot of people I know, and I don't think I would have enjoyed this then, either. I would have been like "shut the fuck up and get a life, Holden." While I'm sure we thought alike somewhat, why on earth would I want to read about teen angst when I was surrounded by it 24/7?

I just don't get it. I'd need a reread to make a more coherent rant, but that's what I have off the top of my head.

[Brice]

My dad maintains that this book got famous because it was the first book to use the word "fuck." I'm not sure if he's right on that or not, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least. There is nothing interesting about this book at all. Just a whiny kid. Big deal. I mean, I'm more in touch with my childhood and teen years than a lot of people I know, and I don't think I would have enjoyed this then, either. I would have been like "shut the fuck up and get a life, Holden." While I'm sure we thought alike somewhat, why on earth would I want to read about teen angst when I was surrounded by it 24/7?

I just don't get it. I'd need a reread to make a more coherent rant, but that's what I have off the top of my head.

Sarah: The first use of the word fuck (that I can track down) was in a manuscript from 1475 "They, that are the monks of Ely, they are not in Heaven because they fuck the wives of Ely." Many books used it between then and The Catcher In The Rye.

[Ka-mai]

My dad maintains that this book got famous because it was the first book to use the word "fuck." I'm not sure if he's right on that or not, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least. There is nothing interesting about this book at all. Just a whiny kid. Big deal. I mean, I'm more in touch with my childhood and teen years than a lot of people I know, and I don't think I would have enjoyed this then, either. I would have been like "shut the fuck up and get a life, Holden." While I'm sure we thought alike somewhat, why on earth would I want to read about teen angst when I was surrounded by it 24/7?

I just don't get it. I'd need a reread to make a more coherent rant, but that's what I have off the top of my head.

Sarah: The first use of the word fuck (that I can track down) was in a manuscript from 1475 "They, that are the monks of Ely, they are not in Heaven because they fuck the wives of Ely." Many books used it between then and The Catcher In The Rye.

I meant more like, a book that a significant amount of people read within the past 100 years, but I get your point.

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

1. How did you feel about the writing style of the book? I found the writing style to be tiresome at best. Teen angst does not mean that one must repeat the same 10 words over and over and over and over and over and over and over. Even my teenage daughter, who seems to find an adjective that she likes and begins using it to describe every situation much to my dismay, can mix it up a little more.

I think that this excerpt sums up the writing style pretty well:

pp: 81-82. "I think if you don't really like a girl, you shouldn't horse around with her at all, and if you do like her, then you're supposed to like her face, and if you like her face, you ought to be careful about doing crumby stuff to it, like squirting water all over it. It's really too bad that so much crumby stuff is a lot of fun sometimes. Girls aren't too much help, either, when you start trying not to get too crumby, when you start trying not to spoil anything really good. I knew this one girl, acouple of years ago, that was even crumbier than I was. Boy, was she crumby! We had a lot of fun, though, for a while, in a crumby way.

That said, the writing did not completely ruin the book for me. Not every book I read has to be beautifully written prose. I mean, hey, I like Koontz.

2. For what reason is this book so "hyped"? At a loss to answer this question. I dont think a similar book would have the same success today. The book reminded me of "The Sun Also Rises" by Hemingway. Not, of course, in the vernacular, but in the style. Much of both of these books are disconnected ramblings about this bar or that bar, without much attention to plot. At the end, I didn't hate either book, I just felt myself wondering what was the point.

3. Why do you think this book has become a modern classic? I think that it is an easy story to identify with. Even though I don't like the writing style, I saw much of myself (as a teen) in the character of Holden. This made it an enjoyable read despite its lack of a compelling storyline or poetic prose.

Razz, I will be sending you some questions soon.

[Ka-mai]

pp: 81-82. "I think if you don't really like a girl, you shouldn't horse around with her at all, and if you do like her, then you're supposed to like her face, and if you like her face, you ought to be careful about doing crumby stuff to it, like squirting water all over it. It's really too bad that so much crumby stuff is a lot of fun sometimes. Girls aren't too much help, either, when you start trying not to get too crumby, when you start trying not to spoil anything really good. I knew this one girl, acouple of years ago, that was even crumbier than I was. Boy, was she crumby! We had a lot of fun, though, for a while, in a crumby way.

I forgot how much he used that fucking word. Every time he said it I thought about green bean casserole, which has crumbs on top.

Honestly, in regards to what Jean said, I think I identified more with, and found more likeable, Charlie from Rage than Holden. I mean, Holden was just like "blah blah blah" the whole time, but Charlie had legitimate fucked up life problems that made him snap along with a probable mental illness, he wasn't just whining about whatever he felt like. And his little sit-in with the students actually seemed to have a positive impact on them in certain ways (like that chick who never bathed got help from the other girls, etc.), which I think is more productive than anything Holden did. I guess what I'm trying to say is, Holden talked the talk, but Charlie walked the walk. Or something. Fuck. I'm ranting.

[mae]

I think that this excerpt sums up the writing style pretty well:

pp: 81-82. "I think if you don't really like a girl, you shouldn't horse around with her at all, and if you do like her, then you're supposed to like her face, and if you like her face, you ought to be careful about doing crumby stuff to it, like squirting water all over it. It's really too bad that so much crumby stuff is a lot of fun sometimes. Girls aren't too much help, either, when you start trying not to get too crumby, when you start trying not to spoil anything really good. I knew this one girl, acouple of years ago, that was even crumbier than I was. Boy, was she crumby! We had a lot of fun, though, for a while, in a crumby way.

I find repetition is a great writing tool. To each his own, I guess. Here, I think, it works to a great effect.

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

I think that this excerpt sums up the writing style pretty well:

pp: 81-82. "I think if you don't really like a girl, you shouldn't horse around with her at all, and if you do like her, then you're supposed to like her face, and if you like her face, you ought to be careful about doing crumby stuff to it, like squirting water all over it. It's really too bad that so much crumby stuff is a lot of fun sometimes. Girls aren't too much help, either, when you start trying not to get too crumby, when you start trying not to spoil anything really good. I knew this one girl, acouple of years ago, that was even crumbier than I was. Boy, was she crumby! We had a lot of fun, though, for a while, in a crumby way.

I find repetition is a great writing tool. To each his own, I guess. Here, I think, it works to a great effect.

I think that repetition is a crumby writing tool.

Or maybe its just that I think Holden is a tool.

[Kidd Ikarus]

Or maybe its just that I think Holden is a tool.

[flaggwalkstheline]

I think one thing about this book illustrated by our various comments is this: either you get it or you dont and if you dont get, you wont

[Girlystevedave]

I think I may do a re-read of this book since it's been a few years since I read it. I don't remember it impacting me much at the time, but I want to see how I feel another time around. Maybe it just wasn't it's "time" for me then.


Edit: Could I have used the word "time": any more up there?

[razz]

questions updated

[Jean]

1. How did you feel about the writing style of the book? It's the only redeeming feature of this book I've been able to find. I always recommend it to my students when I want them to clearly understand that one doesn't have to know a lot of words: one can always do with a hundred or so.

2. For what reason is this book so "hyped"?

Holden is the first character of his kind, the wild antisocial young crazy person

3. Why do you think this book has become a modern classic?

As ka-mai's father suggested, the word "fuck" must have had a lot to do with this.

Because everyone who reads it finds something in it they identify with

No, not everyone. The only two characters that disgust me more than him (of those I am supposed to fucking sympathize with, I mean) are Alex (A Clockwork Orange) and that guy from Rage. Well, at least master Caulfield didn't kill anybody... yet... but he surely paved the way.

4. If you were to perform a psychoanalysis of Holden, what would your diagnosis be? I wouldn't have the patience, I loathe him way too much. Rich overfed kid syndrome could be an option.

shut the fuck up and get a life, Holden

5. What words of wisdom, if any, did you think that Holden provided?

None.

6. How do you think the title relates to Holden as a character?

In no way. Should he become the "catcher", he would immediately have become bored and started finding fault with those poor kids like he already has with the rest of mankind.

7. Why is Holden so afraid of phony people?

Obviously, because he is a big phony himself.

I'll elaborate later, when I'm through with my reread.

[Jean]

A poll has been added, the same as in the previous two cases.

[candy]

a poll i'm a sucker for a poll
now you all have to guess how i voted

[jayson]

i'm a sucker for a poll

It's just not within me to resist saying "that's what she said" about this.

[candy]