Tomorrow, Amber and Rachel will be hosting another round of Collaboreads and this month’s prompt was to read a book that had been previously banned. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger was one of my favorite books from high school and college. I have multiple copies of the original paperback, acquired from one too many thrift store adventures, and this beautiful hardcover was a birthday gift from my favorite roommate during my freshman year of college (Hi, Ali!).
When I was thinking about what book to choose for this month’s link up, I briefly considered Harry Potter. I haven’t ever read it before (I know) and I was planning to wait and read it with the girls over the holidays, but it might be en route with a scheduled delivery date of… TOMORROW. I looked at several lists of banned books published online, but I always came back to Salinger. My first experience with Catcher was during my freshman year of high school. My first serious boyfriend gushed about this book and told me “if you aren’t hooked by the end of the first page, put it down.” I’m not sure if I really was hooked, or just hooked on him, but I read it and soon after professed it my favorite book ever. I read it several times in high school and I remember reading this hardcover version sometime during college, but it’s been at least fifteen years since I cracked it open.
In case you haven’t read it, The Catcher in the Rye was originally published in 1945 and is the only novel written by Salinger. He produced several other compilations and short stories, but never another full length work. The book follows Holden Caulfield, an almost sixteen year old adult (as far as he’s concerned), who leaves his prep school in Pennsylvania and spends three days “underground” in his home city of New York. Holden is cynical about most things, dubbing anything contrary as a “phony.” The story is an ongoing stream of consciousness as Holden confronts his adolescence, alienation, and the conflict between himself and every adult in his life. I was most curious about how I would feel about the book now that I’m on the parent end of the spectrum. Although Holden is far more disillusioned than I ever was, it was probably easier to identify with him at the ripe old age of eighteen!
RIVETING.
What part of the book could you NOT get enough of? One of my favorite things about this book is Holden’s voice. He narrates everything that is happening to him, from the important to the super mundane. He moves from one subject to another with fluidity and never misses a beat. When I described this book above as a “stream of consciousness,” I wasn’t kidding. I think that appeals to me so much, because it’s how I hear myself think and I often write myself. I find myself having conversations where one topic blends into another and thirty minutes later you have know idea how you wound up here — that is how this book unfolds.
ELEMENTS.
How did you relate to/care for the characters? I hate to say I didn’t care for Holden, but he isn’t exactly a nice person. It’s only funny because he’s a character in a book and his thought processes make for interesting reading and moments where I actually laugh out loud, but I’m not sure I can relate to him or care for him much at all. If anything, I feel sorry for him. I’m sad that he’s so alone and isolated from the people he surrounds himself with. He “knows” so many people, but he’s socially awkward and struggles to fit in. He’s constantly offended or betrayed by the other characters in the book and you can’t help but pity his circumstances, even if his bad luck is his own fault.
What’s your thought on the plot line and twists and turns? This book majors in character development with a minor in plot. Sure, things happen, but the real story is in how Holden deals with what happens. The entire book is Holden recapping the events of a three day time span, so the action takes place inside his head. I will say that there is a bit of a twist and in case you aren’t familiar with the story line, I don’t want to spoil it for you. Instead I’ll say, pay attention to where the story begins and ends — it puts a rather significant spin on the contents between those two chapters.
ASSOCIATE.
What other books are like this one? If none, did it remind you of a particular TV or movie with it’s themes and characters? Does it serendipitous-ly line-up with things going on in your life or the news right now? I’m not sure how to compare this to anything else I’ve read recently. The “teenage voice” is so different from what I imagine modern teenagers sound like, so it’s hard to draw parallels between this and any current YA novels I’ve read. There are loads of lists on the internet that provide lists of books you’ll probably love if you liked this one, so check those out if you’re interested in reading more.
DESIGN.
You know you judged this book by the cover. What did you think of it? How did it relate to the contents of the novel? And the font and layout of the pages? I started reading the hardcover novel, because it’s just SO PRETTY. I love how it cracks when you open it up and the book jacket is so beautiful. It’s super saturated in color and I love the contrast of the swirly illustrations with the straight and simple fonts. The cover shows line drawings of several places in New York where Holden finds himself over the course of three days. It’s a perfect reference to the plot, without being too literal or offering any spoilers. I must admit, that I abandoned the pretty version for a wrinkly paperback when I stumbled across it on the bookshelf a few days later. It was perfectly worn and had that exact same cover as every other Salinger work and it was much easier to hold and to read!
STARS.
How many out of five do you give this book? Twenty years ago, I would have said 5 stars — I’m sure of it. Part of me wants to give it 5 anyway, because I can totally see why this was one of my favorite books. I still adore Salinger’s writing and I think Holden’s story is so captivating, even if it’s unlike anything else I’m reading these days. I’ll give it a solid 4 stars and call it a day. Would you recommend this book to a friend? It absolutely depends on the friend. I’m not sure someone who reads only modern bestsellers would find this book to their liking. The language is really harsh considering the age of the narrator, there are some particularly adult themes present throughout, and the main character says some really nasty things about women, people in authority, minorities, and people with disabilities. Remember, this was a banned book. For someone who likes reading classics and isn’t afraid of a little grit? I would certainly recommend it.
OTHER THOUGHTS.
You guys. When I switched to the paperback version of this novel, I found tons of highlighted portions that I’m sure I marked at some point during high school or college. Some of them were hard to understand — why in the world did I think they were highlight worthy? Others were funny in the way that I could see how I related to them as a teenager, but they provoked a completely different response this time around. Still others made me smile, because even almost twenty years after my first read, I’m still the very same girl.
Thanks to Rachel & Amber for hosting us (as always!) — next month’s criteria is to read a book with “fall” in the title. I have a few ideas, but I can’t wait to get started brainstorming. As much as I love having free rein to choose books on my own, it’s always fun to get a little direction from some of my favorite readers. See you next time!
