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Wow, Gravity's Rainbow took a beating. Catcher in the Rye though?? -Hmm, not sure I'm agreeing with this one. I agree that it takes the right time/place for some books. For me it was "Wuthering Heights", written by the only Bronte sister. -Pretty much a soap opera, but I actually enjoyed it when I was stuck in a Cabin one rainy weekend.
I read "Wuthering Heights" once, some time ago. I remember liking it. This very week, I tried re-reading it. One chapter in, I had to put the book down and consult Wikipedia to find out when the story began. Three-chapter prologue? "No, thanks," said my attention span. It really is a soap opera, but I'm inclined to say that it wasn't intended to read like one when it was written?
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AhimMoonchowsen · 4848 days ago · link ·
You know that period right after a storm when the sky is in transition and everything is a yellowy-gold that normally doesn't occur in nature? For me, The Catcher in the Rye is like this. It captures a fleeting transitional moment in a young mans life. This is a stage that Holden will never recapture. I read it as a kid and thought it was just alright. I read it as an adult and it made more sense to me.
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Try Franny and Zooey (if you haven't) on a lazy afternoon. To me, that is the essence of Salinger. 9 Stories has a couple that also resonate with me. "Down at the Dingy" is one, "Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes" is another.
I liked Catcher in the Rye, (I agree with Ahim), but it wasn't my favorite. It might sound odd, but to me, Salinger can effectively address the idea that all we say and do are brushstrokes. There is a much more complicated narrative inside, but the brushstrokes we make are what everyone else gets. Sometimes they are all we get too.