CONTINUING ON J.D. SALINGER AND THE CATCHER IN THE RYE
November 17, 2014 at 7:28 pm 2 comments
I spent some time reflecting on my impressions after reading the Catcher in the Rye and came to the conclusion that my age and the span of time since it was written were the primary factors in my interpretation of the work.
Counted among the ranks of senior citizenry when reading this novel, I found the main character, Holden Caulfield, whiny and immature. Perhaps, if I could somehow shed fifty years my impressions would be quite different. But since that is unfortunately impossible, I won’t dwell on its potential outcome.
However, I would like to address some thoughts about the novel’s impact when it was first released and how it is viewed today. The language and the fact that a prostitute appears within its pages made the work extremely controversial when it was published in 1951. I look at my own work and my use of questionable language is much more prevalent than Salinger’s, but then, my talent does not approach is so my stories slip under all radar undetected. Salinger’s novel is listed among the top ten censored books, and most frequently banned book in schools from 1966 to 1975. It is studied now in high schools but still, on occasion, provokes adversity.
What I find interesting and the reason I look forward to reading Salinger’s mysterious output produced during those 45 years of seclusion is that his classic work, once considered risqué, might now be considered a YA novel.
What are your thoughts?
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Entry filed under: OBSERVATIONS & OPINIONS, READER'S OPPORTUNITIES. Tags: censorship, J.D. Salinger, the Catcher in the Rye, YA novel.
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1.
sourgirlohio | November 17, 2014 at 8:22 pm
I read this for the first time as an adolescent- at the time, I identified with it a lot. A lot more than I do now in my thirties.
But it is still one of my absolute favorite books. Caulfield may be a train wreck of adolescent hormones and post traumatic stress, but he still seems to have a knack for pointing out things that are often overlooked by people his age…..he can smell the phony on people. He understands the purity and honesty of children. He hates Hollywood. And he understands how things get RUINED.
As for the language, I think it works. I think the language helps to highlight his already extreme thought process at times.
Sorry for the long comment. I love a good Catcher discussion.
2.
walttriznastories | November 18, 2014 at 2:06 am
Thanks for your comment. If you get a chance, read Salinger’s biography by Shields and Salerno. In it they point out how Salinger hated Hollywood and anything phony. It’s an incite on how Caulfield mimics Salinger’s attitudes.
As I mentioned in my post, I think my age has something to do with what I took away from the book.
I appreciate hearing from your youthful prospective.