The Catcher in the Rye: My Favorite Novel
60 Years Later, Salinger's Tale of Self-Discovery Endures
" Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around - nobody big, I mean - except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff..... I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I do all day. 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." This timeless statement is made by J.D Salinger's antihero Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye. The statement sums up the essence of the entire novel: Whimsical, random, innocent, and genuine. For those reasons, it tends to be my favorite novel all time.
The Catcher in the Rye is the story of Holden Caulfield and the subsequent few days he spends between when he is kicked out of his school (Pencey Prep) and when he is expected to be home with his parents. The novel is written entirely from Holden's point of view, opinions and all, of which there are many. Most of the time, it goes as far as being a stream of consciousness being narrated. This style makes for a real, humorous, and ridiculous journey.
Holden's opinions, while a little delusional, make for a great read. They also present an extremely honest portrayal of everything going on. He meets with old teachers, old friends, a prostitute, the prostitute's pimp, his sister Phoebe, and other colorful characters. He considers most people "phony," which is essentially Holden's catch-all phrase for everything wrong with the world. He does present a rather cynical view of the world- remember he's 16 - and doesn't really understand things yet; though he thinks he does - he's 16, remember.
His deluded view of the world doesn't make his comments any less charming and endearing. His views are cynical, but he is a character that maintains an aura of hope around him; specifically when he speaks of his sister, Phoebe, and his deceased brother, Allie. He speaks very highly of both. They remain the only characters that remain in his good graces for the entirety of the novel. He also finds that many of those he claimed to despise in some form, he begins to miss as time goes on.
Holden was growing up, just like the rest of us.
Sources
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger
Personal Experience
Published by Brian Davis - Featured Contributor in Arts & Entertainment and Sports
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1 Comments
Post a CommentI read this because I knew it was a classic. It surprised me to find that I really didn't like it.