The reclusive author J. D. Salinger died earlier last month, and you know what, with that I decided to finally finish his famous book, “The Catcher in the Rye“.
Actually I’ve tried reading it couple of times in my lifetime, the first back in high-school, but each time reading the darn novel, I quit as I was literally ‘lost’ and mostly bored out of reading it.
The book is all about teen angst, and reading it at 31 years old is just not the same, but then again when I initially picked up the book at 15 years old, I was too young to comprehend the book, the characters, and story agenda.
I guess I was a decade plus too late reading “The Catcher in the Rye” eh, haha.
Maybe it is out of my depth, considering I’m not the most intelligent person around, but after finally finishing the book just yesterday, I can finally close another chapter in my life.
I’m not really a book person, well I was until the advent of the Internet, which makes my visit to the library obsolete.
I do make trips to the community library around my place occasionally to pick-up self-help and fitness book, for which are not available online.
Anyway back to the novel, it was an alright book to me. It pretty much sums up my life in fact, and many others out there, who have a hard time fitting in society, a rebel or non-conformist.
The key for successfully reading the book … HAHA … is a can of RedBull, and the psychological analysis behind the action, despite the plot and events itself is the mainstay in the story.
There’s just too may sub-plot, digressions, and flashbacks for my liking in the novel, maybe that’s why I always hesitated finishing the book many times.
Overall a depressing book for me …
Indeed it’s a very cheem (difficult) book by my standard lah, and good luck to you if you’re reading it, or doing a paper on it!
“I am quite intelligent, in your stupidity”
there’s Holden Caufield in each and everyone of us. i fall in love with Caufield, the minute i read the first sentence. depressing novel indeed, and it takes one to understand one. many critics said he is mad, but i dont think so. he is just mindful & thoughtful, caring towards eveyone and everything around him. he never pretended to be phony. The Catcher in the Rye, it goes deeper into your inner mind. indeed a very clever man, J D Salinger, we dont come across many such author. may he rest in peace. and Holden will never bring flowers to his grave. ‘who needs flower, when you are dead?” and Sha..dont tell anybody anything, if you do, you start missing everybody..hehehehe…