Book 1: Catcher in the Rye

Title: Catcher in the Rye

Author: J.D. Sallinger

Genre: Fiction

Favourite Quote/Fact: "Ask her if she still keeps all her kings in the back row."

What's it about?:  Holden is a troubled boy and is often described by many a reader as an unlikable character, but he's extremely human and knows himself. After flunking out of a long line of schools he finds himself, once again getting the boot. On a whim he goes off to New York to enjoy some peace and quiet before facing his parents, of course things don't go quite to plan.

My Thoughts:
To be perfectly honest I stole this book from my English room because our class was reading the Chrysallids instead and I was intrigued as to what all the fuss was about. I don't know what I was expecting but I was quickly disappointed and stopped before Holden had even made it to New York. "Nothing happens!" Complained tenth grade me.
Well tenth grade me you're right, nothing really happens in the story, but this isn't a story about the things that happen to Holden Caulfield it's about Holden Caulfield.

"Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all.  Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around - nobody big, I mean - except me.  And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff.  What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff - I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them.  That's all I do all day.  I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all.  I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be"

Holden is a boy who grew too tall over the rye too soon, he suffered a man's troubles as a boy in losing his younger brother and is still dealing with that loss. Several times he talks about not caring when he loses things, money, his jacket, things in general he's never made a big fuss about losing things - but he also describes the night he lost his brother smashing every window in the garage. It's hard to care about losing a couple bucks when you've lost a younger brother. The book is mostly about grief, Holden's grieving process and how he views the world without Allie in it. He doesn't talk about Allie directly all the time but a lot of the things he does talk about reference back to him. It's not the easiest book in the world to read but if you consider it less of something you should be interested in for being amazing and more of something you should be interested in for concern of a friend it's a good read. I'm still entirely baffled as to what the fuss is about though, I mean what with all these crazy people keeping mounds of copies in their house as they go off to shoot people in the face. Holden is sickened with the human condition and "phonies" yes I suppose that is true, but he doesn't want to hurt anybody. He's just frustrated and apathetic and misses his brother and wants the world to slow the heck down so he can get his head on straight! So quit blaming Holden ya jerks!

I liked Holden even though he was a little jaded about most things and often times seemed pessimistic, he's a very real character, he's sensitive and notices things average people don't but in the same breath he's very judgmental at times but also forgiving. People don't like Holden because you end up seeing a lot of yourself in him. You see how judgmental you can be, and how often you're jaded and pessimistic towards humanity. He's not perfect but that's what endeared him to me. 

I had a good laugh and enjoyed thinking about it. I'd go all book report on you because that's what this book lends itself to, it's an English Student's wet dream. So if there are any English students going how the hell do you write about this shit? Read it again! And pay attention, it's full of symbolism, even Holden growing so quickly, and being so tall for his age, and being prematurely grey...One of those books that remind us that all that "English-y garbage" is really important in reading and writing. Things do matter.

Thanks for reminding me.