The Catcher in the Rye
1951
What to say about this book that hasn't been said a million times over? Well, not much...The Catcher in the Rye is both an easy and complex reading. It reads fast, but it grips you way after you've turned the last page and it leaves you wondering, which is what excellent books do. Holden, the main character, has a lot to say about our world, and so does Salinger. It's the kind of reading where you stop and realise that most of the thoughts you've had so far were not unique but shared by most people, that there's often more to someone than their words imply, and that we're not so lonely in our loneliness. A both sadly ironic and hopeful conclusion...
I found it beautiful; some people might find it utterly dull if they refuse to invest in what lies beyond the words on the pages. I found it sad, very sad, yet it didn't leave me disappointed or feeling down. More like the story was sad but there was hope, yet, if only in the uncertainty of the future the writing style emphasises. A very true book_ annoyingly so.
Tags: the "what-the-hell-are-we-doing-here?" question, the know-it-all young white man,
the "look-through-the-bus-window-observe-and-criticise" thing
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