This book was the comic relief I needed in my adolescence. I recently read it again, and it seems more brilliant than the first time J.D. Salinger created such a true character, with such striking characteristics and mannerisms, and yes, very immature but honestly very, very touching. Despite being criticized, for me it is one of the best… The plot is unique and fascinating, the book shows the ugly side of life, for many the only, Holden has a critical thinking that most people lack today, many people did not see the reasons behind Holden's thinking about hating all people (adults), and that everyone is hypocritical… His thoughts, his subliminal pain captivated me from beginning to end. I confess that i still feel uncomfortable in some parts of the book, but my empathy for the characters transcends that. Sallinger's way of showing how our negative experiences with adults during childhood mark us forever, and especially how we will see the world when we grow up, maybe teaches young readers to "not want to become those adults," in a certain way… (at least that's how it was for me). In the end, you understand his fear of growing up, not because he doesn't want the responsibilities of adult life, but because he fears the loss of innocence and the ''falseness of the adult world'', and why he dreams about to live in the rye field and be the only "adult" taking care of the children…– "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." I also like how Salinger transpose love, responsability, sarcasm pointing deep reflections through Holden´s phrases and thoughts… Anyways, how were you guys experience while reading it? (besides people's opinions about it being usually extreme between nice or boring…)
by Ok-Knowledge-414
1 Comment
Yep, this is the correct take. Hated it when I was forced to read it in high school, thought Holden was just an annoying rich kid. Picked it up on my own a few years ago and it clicked. The whole thing is about a kid dealing with immense grief and being terrified of the messy, complicated world of adults. It’s a heavy book disguised as a simple story, and that’s why it sticks with you. FWIW, I think it should be taught in college, not high school.