2015 Reading Challenge [Closed] discussion

This book got bad reviews when it came out, but seems to have survived the test of time. (: I'll just have to see what I think.

Jana wrote: "This book got bad reviews when it came out, but seems to have survived the test of time. (: I'll just have to see what I think."
Remember -- it's not about the story that Holden tells. It's about the story of Holden.

This was one of the few books that everyone had to read in high school but was never assigned to me. According to my husband, it was the only school book that he ever actually liked. So a few years ago I gave it a try - and hated it. Awful crap (in my opinion of course).

We decided you have to be at the "right place" in your life when you first encounter this book in order to like it. I'll be interested to see what others here think.

I'm with you Deana - I didn't like this either. I'm planning to re read it at some point (I think I read it either in high school or at uni ... either way, many years ago!) to see if I "get it" or if I still hate it.

I read it a couple of weeks ago, and I didn't like it either. I found Holden annoying and I couldn't relate to him at all. I think most of them, who love this book recognize some part of themselves in Holden and how they felt as a teenager becoming an adult. I just didn't.
Holden as a narrator irritated me. I found him repetitive and tedious.

I've seen several people mentioning that they had to read the book twice or more to fully understand it and appreciate it. I just don't think I can be bothered reading it again!

I read this book for school when I was 19 or so and absolutely loved it. Now, reading your comments, I wonder if I would still find it amazing. Maybe I need to read it again... or not, so I can keep the good memory I have of it...

I think that the reason it doesn't make sense to our generation is there are a lot of literary and social references that just go over our head.

I believe the book is allegorical and about War.
I believe it is an anti-war book. But you have to be able to read it with all its literary references. This is why i believe it is a classic. I read it at least three times in a row....(The first time i didn't like it and thought it was stupid to be called a classic). I thought "maybe i missed something." Read the scene with the carousel....

And saw this:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I have been studying this TCITR as it relates to WW2. I guess what really bothered me was that Holden and Salinger both went to a ivy league private boys boarding school. So it wasn't likely that he didn't know where ducks went in the winter. I looked up what it said in the cliff notes but felt that they were just guessing and all the mush stuff was an attempt to pull the wool over my eyes and make me think they had the answers. What i did know about Salinger was that he had had a traumatic experience in his service in WW2. Also most authors write about what they know. Some are trying to write their way out of a difficult situation. So just on a chance i decided to look at TCITR from the point of view of war and WW2.

This week i was thinking about "luck". There are 13 "luck(y)" in the Catcher. I would say that ie very unlucky. Also he was always saying how he hated it when someone said "good luck"...Spencer was the first one to say this.

The "historical person" Spencer coined the phrase survival of the fittest.

Holden's history teacher is named old Spencer in TCITR.
He and Holden talk about how live is a game. But Holden says sure but what's a game about it if you are on the losing side of the game.

When we think about WW2 certainly we can see that those that did not possess the atomic bomb were not going to win the game. That that and many other things gave the American an advantage unforseen before.

So it was interesting to me when looking up GOOD LUCK WW2
that i would come across this:

The Good Luck Flag
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_...

I don't think that TCITR was banned because of profanity or sexual content as much as that Salinger told the truth albeit disguised about the war and how it was a game of finance. Pence-y...and we were Allie(d) with Britain...who had ties to the Nazi....it was a hell made on earth to give a sly of hand to those that wanted power and money. Check out my post on Breaking The Code To The Catcher In The Rye.

Breaking The Code To The Catcher In The Rye

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...