Synopsis:
Holden Caufield hates school. Really hates it. After getting kicked out of another boarding school – Pencey Prep, Holden decides to head back to New York for some time off without family and without “phonies.” He spends the next few days fighting off boredom, fending off an angry pimp, and trying to connect with someone to bring him happiness.
Thoughts:
Although I got frustrated with the story at times, I genuinely enjoyed this book. As I read I thought about the characters that are described and related them to people I know. I also would thought about Holden’s situation and how I’ve felt similarly at times in my life (especially about the school thing – man I was no good at school.) Mostly I loved the general sense of teenage rebellion, which is something I can identify with a great deal. I never left school and went on a three day bender, but I definitely had those types of feelings.
The structure drove me kind of nuts. But it shouldn’t have. I’m kind of a structure purist I’ve found and the way Salinger taps into that wandering mind of Holden, it frankly drove me crazy. The good thing is, despite the wandering mind, Holden’s story does have a fairly progressive structure, it just isn’t as exciting as I’m used to. But what do you expect when his main character says: “I hate the movies like poison.” I however, do not hate the movies. And in fact, they are my life. So I guess that is a significant reason why his style didn’t jive with my sensibility.
What I Learned:
I should feel free in my writing to let a character be themselves, even when it is to their own detriment. It is also important to let the characters go down roads in dialogue (or in the case of a novel, a thought process) that doesn’t necessarily lead to anything. Letting them muse and meander about a certain experience or feeling is just as telling of their nature as is their actions.
Also, Holden is ADD as hell.
(If interested, you can buy the book here: The Catcher in the Rye
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)Up next: THE MOTE IN GOD'S EYE by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
3 comments:
Behind Great Expectations, this is my favorite book of all time.
Never before had I actually read ahead in any book for school, but I finished this one a good month before I had to. Salinger's prose was intoxicating, simply because I felt like Holden was a living, breathing creation.
I am always disturbed when I hear people naming their kids after him. Say what now? Do you want to encourage anarchy in your child? Are they going to read this their junior year and realize they were named after one of the most troubled characters in literature? Blows my mind how dumb people can be. He's no Atticus Finch, so stop naming your kids Holden. Please.
I read this book about 7 years ago so I don't remember the details, but you made me laugh when you quoted "phonies." Ha ha! After I read it, I said everything was a "bore" for years!
The more I think about the book, the more I believe Holden is a good guy. He's the "catcher in the rye," protector of the innocent and helper to those less fortunate. He's a complicated character, but one that I really admire.
But you're right, stop naming your kid after him.
My brother's middle name is Yossarian - as in Captain John Joseph Yossarian from Catch-22. My bro has said he doesn't know why that's a positive role model of a name. I think it's hilarious.
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