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

[Thedayrecker]

Ehh it was alright.

 

[BlumiereBleck]

Not really, a book were the main character whines and complains the whole time didnt catch me in to much. Plus everyone who reads it is bound to become an assassin.

 

[SturmDolch]

What..? Did I read a different book? He's not that much of a dick. He actually seems to understand why things are the way they are, and by the end of the book, he decides life's not so bad after all. I liked it. It was enjoyable. Great, classic work of literature? I'll let the people-who-decide-what-great-classic-works-of-literature decide that.

 

[xXAsherahXx]

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.

I only understand it because it is a school assignment, due Nov. 10. I still hate this book and wish to grind every copy into dust. It has symbolism, but is entirely drowned out by his incessant complaining about every little damn thing that he comes across. It's like the symbolism is his justification for being a whiny ***** for 200+ pages only to go "eeh, it isn't so bad".

 

[wolf92]

I like it because I like the writing style
I don't get any deeper meaning out of it. I don't feel there's some great meaning to his angst, I just like it for the writing. I know that sounds weired

 

[Nouw]

How strange. On ths T.V. Show it mentioned Catcher in the Rye and it was the most important part of the theme and plot.

 

[Ham_authority95]

I've never read, nor heard of it outside of the internet.

Guess I'll look into it eventually.

 

[natster43]

I disliked the book when I started reading it, but after a while I started to like it. I blame a lot of my dislike for the book on my teacher spoiling the ending of it before we even started reading it.

 

[Revolutionary]

I absolutley love that book, Even if Holden is a bit of a twat, it's still really enjoyable.

 

[WolfmanNougat]

I read it once out of curiosity. I kinda liked it. It was interesting, to say the least. Sure, Holden just sems to complain about EVERYTHING (hyperbole, of course), but then, so did I when I was young, though not to that extent. In fact, I think I'd say that reading it helped me wise up and realise that there's nothing to be gained in seeing anything you don't like as stupid or pointless just for the sake of it.
So yeah, interesting read, might enlighten some readers.

Plus everyone who reads it is bound to become an assassin.

No. Just, no.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

It's enjoyable, but not for the main character. He's a dick.

But so was Hannibal Lecter, and you enjoyed that book, didn't you?

 

[DarthCheney]

I've never read, nor heard of it outside of the internet.

Guess I'll look into it eventually.

Didn't you ever go to school?

OT: I got about 3/4 of the way through the book and I just couldn't take anymore. It is a good book, but it doesn't make Holden Caulfield any less detestable.

 

[shadyh8er]

I liked it because it was funny! Holden is such an idiot I can't help but laugh. But of course that all changes at the end when he symbolically turns his hunter's hat around the right way. It shows that he's going to take a more "forward" approach to life.

 

[hurfdurp]

I was surprised that I didn't really like it. I love classics, I love books you read in High School, I'm not sure why this isn't a treasure of mine.

 

[Dango]

Yes, it was a fantastic novel. The fact that you only see his list of things wrong with society simply as complaining does not mean it's a bad book.

 

[xXAsherahXx]

Yes, it was a fantastic novel. The fact that you only see his list of things wrong with society simply as complaining does not mean it's a bad book.

cheap suitcases = society?

 

[Dango]

Yes, it was a fantastic novel. The fact that you only see his list of things wrong with society simply as complaining does not mean it's a bad book.

cheap suitcases = society?

Nope, but cheap suitcases just fits in with the rest of his terrible boarding school memories. And also, even if you consider it complaining, he's clearly an unstable, depressed kid, which would just make him a well-written character.

 

[Bruin]

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.

I only understand it because it is a school assignment, due Nov. 10. I still hate this book and wish to grind every copy into dust. It has symbolism, but is entirely drowned out by his incessant complaining about every little damn thing that he comes across. It's like the symbolism is his justification for being a whiny ***** for 200+ pages only to go "eeh, it isn't so bad".

That's a matter of opinion, but it is my opinion that your opinion is wrongly based.

Catcher, if anything, is pure symbolism and allusions. Every page is dripping with them, under the umbrella of fantastic storytelling on Salinger's part and making the story interesting. There is no real plotline--that's what makes it interesting. There is no real point of it all--that's what makes it intriguing. Take it for face value and you'll find a mildly-interesting book you can put back up on the shelf. Take it for deeper meaning and it stays with you. You can think about it, your mind works it over inside itself and turns it into a canvas Salinger has painted on a jumble mess of everything in Holden's life--every event a line that, when arranged properly, paints a Mona Lisa of modern classics.

Or perhaps a stick figure.

I'm guessing for you it's the latter.

 

[L3m0n_L1m3]

Good lord did I hate this book. Through the years, I've read many books, but Catcher In the Rye was easily my least favorite book out of all of them. I don't even remember WHY I hated it so much, I just remembering hating it.