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American teenagers have been issued copies of J.D. Salinger's iconic novel 'Catcher in the Rye' in Mrs. Archibald's English class for generations. Whether you actually read the frantic story of a rebel named Holden is between you and your Cliff's Notes collection ... and for many, just the sight of the book's cover elicits memories of ones youth. Most people used to have the maroon version with yellow text. The plain white with diagonal stripes in the corner is still sold today. The carousel scene in the book has made it into two iconic covers and on the bottom right is a surprising "pulp fiction" version.
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I read the book for the first, and probably only, time last year. Maye it is because I am not a 15-17 year old male, I did not see what the big deal is. I am not sure I would have thought it was a big thing when I was that young. As for Holden being a "rebel", he was just another of millions of teen age boys trying to find his way in the world, yawn.
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Maybe the meatphor or symbplism went right over your head. That's why it was "no big deal" to you.
I agree, it's wildly overrated. It's one of those things that "they" declare to be a big deal and everyone goes along.
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You've got to know the history behind the book before you can say anything. Written in 1951, and its about teenage Angst and sexuality. Now read up about American culture during the 50's and then read the book again.
In 1960 a teacher was fired for assigning the novel in class. He was later reinstated. Between 1961 and 1982, The Catcher in the Rye was the most censored book in high schools and libraries in the United States.In 1981, it was both the most censored book and the second most taught book in public schools in the United States.
Now do you understand all the hype? History, gotta love it.
I read the book when I was 17, and was amazed that it seemed to speak directly to the thngs I was experiencing and feeling then.
But I'm male, and it was targeted at me.
A brilliant work.
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I've always heard whatan American classic this book was. He an Harper Lee (To kill a mocking bird) only wrote those two books each. He never wanted his book to be made into a movie. Now that he has died maybe thay will make a great movie version. I am going to get the book from Borders tomorrow to read this classic before that happens.
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I read it at age 15 in 1975 and to this day, it remains one of two of my most favored reads of all time. Taught me alot about the psyche of males, in adolescence. But even better it made me realize the idiocy of apathetic adults and the messes they tend to create for others to have to bear, whether they realize it or not. Usually, not.
A timeless read. Too bad it wasn't required read for ALL young teens. Life lessons- written in genius prose and metaphor.
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The book itself was tiresome, annoying and pathetic, while never having any redeemable qualities. To give a voice to the main character was to indulge sorry insignificance. The fact that so many 'troubled' individuals identify with it is a sad state of contemporary youth.
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I think that's because you're probably conservative politically. Conservatives tend to think in black and white rather than shades of gray. This is not to say anything derogatory. It's just individual orientations to the way we see things. Liberals are more or less on a different plane of understanding. Again -- neither good nor bad. We need both for balanced thinking and action and the one should definitely not trash the other, but try to open up to embrace the differences. We need this kind of unity in our country and not be the "house divided against itself." Try to read it with an open mind, not to change your mind, but to try to see another way of thinking. God Bless.
Eh, I hate to read that book for summer reading as an introduction to Honors English I. I thought the book was the worst thing I've ever read. Yes, maybe I missed "the big picture", or maybe it is because I'm 15 in modern society, but I absolutely despised Holden Caulfied and his desecration of the English. I went on a rant about it nearly every day for the first two weeks of class. Maybe it's because I'm not a dude, or maybe it's because I hold a few more conservative views than liberal, but not matter the reason, the book sucked.
.... And for the record, I have the copy with the cover that is top right. ^-^
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