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comment by cgod
cgod  ·  4848 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Great Books that aren't all that great.
I never liked the Catcher in the Rye, and have no idea why anyone does.




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.
caio  ·  4848 days ago  ·  link  ·  
I think Ahim got it right. I also liked Catcher. To me, it was a book about this kid who didn't know any better, but was going to prove to everybody that he did. I thought it was funny.
mk  ·  4846 days ago  ·  link  ·  
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.