<p>I read this book in high school and remember not liking it much. I didn’t remember too much else about it but son is reading it for AP English so I decided to give it another try.</p>
<p>Son’s assignment after reading the book is to write an essay explaining how Holden matures. But honestly if I had to write that essay I don’t know what I would write. How can someone mature in three days? Much less three days of too much alcohol and too little sleep? </p>
<p>Son has not finished reading, and I think it might be best for me to keep my opinion to myself even when he does finish, so can someone here help me understand what am I missing about this book?</p>
<p>Both of my kids in high school occasionally asked me to read books along with them so we could talk about them and share insights, but I think parental input on essays should be reserved until after a first draft is written. My kids often had a very different take on things they read than I did.</p>
<p>Calmom, thanks for the link. But I didn’t mean help with the essay (I don’t plan to offer any help and I doubt son will request any). I meant help from someone who sees the point of this book, just for my own sense of understanding. The book is obviously a staple of high school English classes, but having just finished the book this morning, my initial reaction is, why?</p>
<p>I would recommend reading the book again (it’s not very long). It’s a very different read as an adult than it was as a teen. And FWIW, I have known people (myself included) who matured in three days or less, depending on what they encountered during those three days.</p>
<p>I have to go with Already?'s opinion - I had to read that book in hs and to this day remember how I disliked it.</p>
<p>D had to read it as a freshman in hs (two years ago) and despised it. She described it as having to indulge a spoiled adolescent boy by listening to him whine. She also had the misfortune of having a H English teacher drag the book out over a period of weeks (my d would say it felt like years :)) while discussing all the symbolism, etc.</p>
<p>Maybe you aren’t missing anything, Already?. </p>
<p>Truly interesting to see how some books are loved by some and hated by others.</p>
<p>(<em>Life of Pi</em> is another touchpoint for D. She just can not understand how anyone can possibly like the book.)</p>
<p>For what’s it’s worth, every class finds something different upon which to focus. There’s a lot in that book, so it’s hard to cover everything.</p>
<p>One possible way in which Holden matures is by simply embracing his age. There are many instances in the book that demonstrate his fear of adulthood and of puberty. His dreams, his hatred of intimacy, etc. Ultimately, he is forced to accept adolescence and maturity.</p>
<p>Anyway, it was like torture. I wanted to jump into the book and throttle the little brat. It was awful. And ignatius, PLEASE (seriously) tell your daughter that someone agrees with her about Life of Pi. Ugh, I didn’t like that book at all.</p>
<p>Catcher in the Rye is definitely the type of book that can cause poor, misunderstood teens to say “Yes, that’s me!” while causing adults to want to throw up. Or throw Holden Caulfield.</p>
<p>Can’t imagine an English teacher rhapsodizing over it these days, however. It spoke more to the navel-gazing baby boomers at the time, but I think we’re all over it now.</p>
<p>OK to read, but I wouldn’t spend much time on it and it’s certainly not great literature.</p>
<p>Both my kids struggled to write their CITR essays. They detested it as much as I did. My S told me that if adults think that’s really how teens act/think/feel … they are sadly mistaken!!</p>
<p>When I was a teenager I absolutely loved the book. I think as an awkward teenager you really relate to the characters, there is that “that’s me”. At the time my reading comprehension was not up to par,(looking back I probably had some form of a undiagnosed LD) and this was THE book that I finally said “I get it”.
My D who is now a freshman in college also loved the book.
And yes I agree with mommusic, it was more relevant to us boomers back in the day. Now, I have no interest in it to re-read.</p>
<p>I’d put J.D. Salinger in the category of “why bother?” and “what’s all the fuss about?” Seems to me the best thing the guy did was go off and stop writing and be a recluse.</p>
<p>I haven’t read the book, but I just had to throw-in on the subject.</p>
<p>I read to both my daughter and son all their lives, from before birth, even. Both grew up loving to be read to and loving to read to me. They were both precocious readers and my son is an avid reader still. My daughter, however, has read bits of fluff here and there–Nicholas Sparks books, Gossip Girls–but never really developed a passion for reading anything…until senior year when she read Catcher in the Rye. SHE LOVED IT. She has sought out and read other Salinger stories and has even begun reading Kurt Vonnegut on the recommendation of other Salinger lovers. Now, she’s an avid reader and I couldn’t be more delighted. Different strokes, I guess. (I really must read it.)</p>
<p>Son’s soph Eng teacher loved Catcher in the Rye. I thought it was interesting when I read it when young, years ago, but somehow didn’t really want son dwelling on it for a long period as an adolescent. It seemed to validate the type of misanthropy and nihilism that you don’t want a vulnerable teen nurturing.</p>
<p>Although, son is not angsty (like I was!) so probably would have been immune. Eng teacher decided not to study it, anyway.</p>
<p>Interesting topic–I thought I was the only person who thought that book was a downer and not the greatest thing ever!</p>
<p>I loved Catcher the two or three times I read it, many years ago. I was pleased that my D, now a college soph, was assigned to read it in HS; she loved it and chose to use it for a major writing assignment. She’s a bit emo, maybe that’s why it impressed her so much.</p>
<p>Interestingly, she read my decades-old copy; her young teacher said she had never seen it (brick read cover) before…and I didn’t know there were any other versions!</p>
<p>I’m SO glad to read that there are others out there who disliked this book! I read it a couple of years ago and hated it. I felt like the main character was a spoiled brat, and I didn’t feel sorry for him one iota. I don’t think he matured at all in those 3 days.</p>
to say “Yes, that’s me!” while causing adults to want to throw up. Or throw Holden Caulfield.</p>