Charlie made me read this book. (Charlie from Steven Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower, that is.) In Perks, Charlie reads at least five classic novels, including The Great Gatsby and To Kill a Mockingbird. After finishing Charlie's story, I really really wanted to read some of those classics, and so I found myself devouring The Catcher in the Rye about an hour later. All I could say was, "I love this character". I actually said the same thing a few days before about Charlie.
The Catcher in the Rye is a masterpiece. That's really all I can say. I so enjoyed Holden and his short journey in New York. I think the best thing was that, throughout the book, I kept thinking something shocking was going to happen, like he was going to wake up in an insane asylum or something. And then when nothing happened and the book ended, I didn't understand at first. But then I did. Because the book was sort of about nothing, but that's the whole point. During my reading of the book, I kept asking, "But what is it about? What's the deal?". In the end, I didn't feel like I had been robbed. I felt at ease.
As for my favorite part, it's definitely the carousel scene in the very end. Holden goes sort of crazy, and the reader gets a good glimpse of his relationship with Phoebe, and how well they mix together in terms of character and personality. Phoebe was also an enjoyable character, because she was made to be that way, made to be a breath of fresh air from the constant jumble of thoughts and actions that is Holden Caulfield. Overall, The Catcher in the Rye will definitely stay in my top ten favorite books.
Great book, right? It's pretty cool how a story's plot can be as simple as "kid walks around New York" and be so incredibly interesting because the main character is so interesting. Plus, it's a great book to just pick up, flip to a random page, and start reading from wherever (after you've finished it a first time, of course). Yeah, I love it, definitely one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteI love Catcher! It's so good! I liked how you described the book as about nothing. It really isn't about anything. I think it really sums up the life of an average teenager. Expectations far exceed reality. Holden just has to try and figure everything out on his own. It's just like life. I don't know what's going on and neither does Holden. It's great because we get to see the process of living while taking a break from our own process of living. I think that makes sense...
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