Poll: Do You Like "Catcher in the Rye"?

[xXAsherahXx]

I honestly cannot stand this book at all. Call me crazy, but isn't the entire novel a teenager with gray hair complaining from an insane asylum. I could get into it if he did something radical and went insane, but all I have the misfortune to hear is that he (Holden Caulfield) hates:

Suitcases
Girls
His room mate
Ackley
Motels
Phonies
Sex
Standing in line at Wal-Mart (unmentioned but probably true)
His old teacher
Growing up
...And many more.

Am I the only person here that hates this? Or am I essentially alone?

I don't mean to be overly critical, but I really cannot stand reading about people complaining for 200+ pages.

 

[Gunlore]

Lol I was named after catcher in the rye.

 

[Bigderf]

Oh no. Definitely not. I loathe this book and it's annoying main character. The main character is an insufferably grating snot whom really needs to get the tar beaten out of him. He holds no responsibility for his actions and as you said, he complains about everything. I truly hate this book.

 

[Radeonx]

I can see why it is considered to be a great piece of literature, and I understand all of the themes and messages it sends, but I just can't deal with a protagonist that is a complete and utter ***** about everything. The book itself is very good, the protagonist is the thing that bothered me.
Overall, I'd say I have a "meh" attitude towards it.

 

[ImprovizoR]

Oh no. Definitely not. I loathe this book and it's annoying main character. The main character is an insufferably grating snot whom really needs to get the tar beaten out of him. He holds no responsibility for his actions and as you said, he complains about everything. I truly hate this book.

No, you hate the character. The book is great.

 

[Bruin]

You missed, almost entirely, what the book is actually about.

I don't like Holden--I don't like that he and the majority of kids his age think they're mature when they're really the most immature scum on the face of the earth.

It's not because Holden was an underdeveloped character--he wasn't at all. He was a many-faceted character that's hard to come by in books, sometimes. He had a strong personality about him that was both easy to identify with, but very easy to hate as the book went on. At first, you're nodding to yourself and agreeing with his cynical mindset, but after that, it's like watching House. You realize House is just a big, fat, dick and you can't see any reason why anyone would realistically like him at all. Holden is obsessed with sex--material things he swears he isn't obsessed with. He's trying to be "edgy" and "rebellious" when there's nothing to rebel from or anything to be edgy about.

Overall, Holden himself was a fascinating character. I hated his guts for the majority of the book, up until he slipped in the museum, but the book itself was written better than many to come before and after, which is why it's a classic. Salinger's word flow is flawless--I never felt lost anytime in the book and it was more like monologue than a story, which made it almost conversational, and easy to read (which is refreshing, coming from a person who's used to Tolkien and Poe, where you almost feel as if you need to break out your dictionary every other chapter just to understand what the fuck the Council of Rivendell was about).

 

[scrambledeggs]

I love the catcher in the rye. You obviously missed the vast majority of its meaning. Read it again.

 

[Mariakitten]

Can't stand it, I hate that book.

 

[Furious Styles]

Its a good book because the main character is a whiney, teenaged prick


If you go to it thunking Holden will be a troubled genius you may hate it, if you go to it with an open mind you'll find it very insightful by the virtue of showing a very believable, flawed, three dimensional character. Not by the virtue of the character himself being insightful.

And at times I did feel sorry for him, he's probably not a bad kid just a fairly fucked up one

 

[JWRosser]

I really enjoyed it. I dislike Holden but I think that was Salinger's intention. The narrative, however, is genius and so authentic, which is one of the reasons I like it to much, I think.
Also all the political agendas too. Anyone who thinks this is just a book about a kid whining is...so...so wrong.

 

[xXAsherahXx]

I get the themes. Try not to grow up and conform to society's rules. Remain a kid. Have good virtues towards your partner...yes, got it. He likes his hunting hat because it is his way of standing out, but he wants to be accepted as well. I understand all the symbolism and themes, but he is just such an ass that it's impossible to enjoy it.

 

[Bruin]

I get the themes. Try not to grow up and conform to society's rules. Remain a kid. Have good virtues towards your partner...yes, got it. He likes his hunting hat because it is his way of standing out, but he wants to be accepted as well. I understand all the symbolism and themes, but he is just such an ass that it's impossible to enjoy it.

Wikipedia or Sparknotes could have told you all of that.

I think understanding the themes allows you to enjoy it more, honestly. Fully understanding and embracing the themes helps you to see the world more from Holden's eyes and less as a third-person, invisible being who follows him around and calls him a prick.

 

[Kenko]

Havent read it, probably not going to either.

 

[Lord Beautiful]

I like it. I don't understand why I like it, but I do.

 

[xXAsherahXx]

I get the themes. Try not to grow up and conform to society's rules. Remain a kid. Have good virtues towards your partner...yes, got it. He likes his hunting hat because it is his way of standing out, but he wants to be accepted as well. I understand all the symbolism and themes, but he is just such an ass that it's impossible to enjoy it.

Wikipedia or Sparknotes could have told you all of that.

I think understanding the themes allows you to enjoy it more, honestly. Fully understanding and embracing the themes helps you to see the world more from Holden's eyes and less as a third-person, invisible being who follows him around and calls him a prick.

I can see why that matters, but how many total dicks do you hang out with. I hang out with 4 of my friends who happen to complain all day (I do too), and I really don't want to read about it. I also hate standing in line at BestBuy, a book on it would not be enjoyable.

 

[CitySquirrel]

I enjoyed it, but I was just 14 or 15 when I read it. I don't know if I would like it now.

Edit: "now" as in if I read it for the first time.

 

[Bruin]

I get the themes. Try not to grow up and conform to society's rules. Remain a kid. Have good virtues towards your partner...yes, got it. He likes his hunting hat because it is his way of standing out, but he wants to be accepted as well. I understand all the symbolism and themes, but he is just such an ass that it's impossible to enjoy it.

Wikipedia or Sparknotes could have told you all of that.

I think understanding the themes allows you to enjoy it more, honestly. Fully understanding and embracing the themes helps you to see the world more from Holden's eyes and less as a third-person, invisible being who follows him around and calls him a prick.

I can see why that matters, but how many total dicks do you hang out with. I hang out with 4 of my friends who happen to complain all day (I do too), and I really don't want to read about it. I also hate standing in line at BestBuy, a book on it would not be enjoyable.

What you're saying here and what you've said before are contradictory.

You're complaining about a book that's too liberal on the complaining sauce.

But you say you understand the themes and symbolism in the story.

You say it's just about complaining about everything.

Yet you also say you understand what it's actually about.

I'm going to question both of them:

Holden's constant criticism of society isn't so much complaining as much as it is incessant mockery that extends from beginning to (near the) end of the book. The theme of non-conformism to society is one that is constantly repeated by Holden throughout the book, and how false it is to truly believe it at such an age as Holden, while exhibiting hypocritical traits to the contrary all the while.

The mocking done by Holden wasn't just for the hell of it. Honestly I find that the determining of what Holden's actually complaining about and what it symbolizes supersedes the annoyance of Holden's constant bitching.

But that's just me.

 

[Tohru_Readman]

It's sitting on a pile of books I still need to read, only picked it up this year. Never read it in High School.

 

[octafish]

Holden Caulfield = Massive Dick.
Catcher in the Rye = Brilliant Book.

 

[fozzy360]

What's weird is that I enjoyed one particular message, and by extension one particular scene, that I got from the book, but I really dislike Holden as a character. I know the intent of Salinger was to create a rather bratty kid, but I grew weary of it by the time I reached the end of the book. I guess I just don't like bitchy characters in anything. Well written book that's dense with critiques and what not, but I just couldn't get over Holden.