The Catcher In The Rye: J.D Salinger

“That was the phoniest conversation I had ever heard”….

         

Holden Caulfield, the protagonist, the hero and our narrator, is a seventeen

year old teenager. His sarcasm, wit and shrewdness is what kept me hooked

to this classic.          

     

I had first, taken the book very seriously when I found it featured 

in “The 10 books to read before you die”. Needless, to say an internet post.

 But, it did feature some very classic titles and modern fables including, “To Kill

 A Mockingbird” and this book.

The book first published in 1945 was truly ahead of its time, its a classic,

originally meant for teenagers or young adults, which now

(Is known as a funnybonesbook) that can be enjoyed by children and 

adults alike.

Even, though 1945 may seem like a distant time back, this story is highly

relatable to many of us. Reading the book felt like, I was talking about my

teen experiences, or a more pessimistic friend of ours is the narrator.

The book is extremely humorous as some lines below would say. Also, at a

time I wanted to GIVE and POINT-OUT almost every funny line but 'copyright'

and the harm caused by a few GoT spoilers made me think about the fine line

 between a review or information and a spoil.

“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to

know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like……….and

 all that David Copperfield kind of crap…”

         

Mr. Holden, gives us this right at the beginning, and the allusion delights

or pisses off all of those Dikens'ians. I believe to be one too and I was

delighted.

Holden describes in this story a particular time when he is thrown

out of his schooland an eventful and funny time on  his own in

New York follows.

He also through the book seeks to bring out the hypocrisy in all the

schools he’s been to and all college students and girls too.

Yes! Sorry. :P 

  

“In every school I’ve gone to, all the athletic bastards

 stick together”….

Having gone to a boarding school, I admit that the line is so true. :-X

Telling you about a small particular incident when Holden was on a

train back to New York from Pencey Prep(his school)…..

"All of a sudden this lady got up at Tempton…after a while after

seeing my suitcase with Pencey’s sticker on it, she asked me… 

“Do you go to Pencey Prep?”

….“Perhaps you would know my son, Ernest Morrace”….

       

Holden replied.. “Yes! I do”…

Then they went on to talk about the lady’s son with Holden going out all

praiseworthy about him.

After the talk the narrator says,

“Her son was doubtless the biggest bastards that ever went to

Pencey”.    ;-)

Speaking about Holden again, the character himself may seem

very self-deprecatory at times but he does that with this very cool

attitude/swag (teen language for a change) that we just love the

character.

“I’d been into only two fights in my

life and I lost both of them”.

“I’m not too tough. I’m a pacifist, if

you want to know the truth.”

           

I’d love to put out a few incidents in the story between Holden and his friend Sally but it would derive you’ll of all the fun this classic has to provide.

        
This book also makes an excellent first-time read i.e. it is one of the perfect ways to make your way into fiction reading. I would highly recommend this to everyone and I’m sure you will have a good and light time reading this book.

      
Also, the language is nothing archaic.
But, it felt a bit tedious as I took a long time to finish reading this book, most of it was because of the screens around me or sheer laziness.

“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. I know it’s crazy.”

That’s all to say for now, so in conclusion I better not lay out morals, teachings etc. in a book I’d describe as hilarious, but it gives us an insight maybe a solace in all the complications a teenager has to go through.

“Among other things, you’ll find that

you’re not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior.”

….

….
So, that’s it, that’s ‘The Catcher in the   Rye’ for you and this is the last blog   post/book post I’ll be putting up for
the next 12 months or so.

“About all I know is, I sort of miss everybody I told about….. It’s funny. Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.

(Just so in my case too.)


P.S- Any suggestions, reviews, your point of
view or criticism is welcome in the
comments below and will be held in regard.
You can also mail me at
hrishikeshkayshap@gmail.com

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