Catcher in the Rye; discuss.

[Anonymous No.1618047]

So I finally knocked this badboy off my list. I can't even begin to I don't even. Is he just an angst-ridden immature piece of shit or is he some sort of tragic-hero, I can't decide. A friend of mine offered up the explanation that he's actually a very sensitive, empathetic being. That like he really hangs out with Ackley because he feels bad for him, and most of the things he criticizes and hates he really just feels bad for and wishes others could feel the same. It's hard for me to wrap my head around cause I used to be the spitting image of this kid and I felt pretty thoroughly relieved moving away from it as I grew up. Now, to see this kind of cynical pessimistic behavior glorified in such a way, idk /lit/ I'm kind of developing a boner for my 14 year old mentality.

How does /lit/ feel about it.

[KOZ !!n414dW6hO/U No.1618053]

YOU APPEAR TO BE A PHONY.

[Anonymous No.1618057]

Holden has very definite and valid qualms with society.

I don't understand when people say he's whiny. I always read it that he's stating his views on some things--not whining about them. On the contrary, he never complains to other people in the book. He's pretty square and reserved.

[Anonymous No.1618058]

you don't have to sympathize with holden 100% he's like the definition of an unreliable narrator bro

also read nine stories it's a billion times better

[Anonymous No.1618068]

>>1618057
>Holden has very definite and valid qualms with society.
Yeah see I always thought this, but I keep shtum whenever a Catcher discussion comes up because it seems like the only valid question that people want to talk about is whether Holden is a moron or an asshole.

[Anonymous No.1618071]

>>1618057
Generally but sometimes it seems like he's just hating things to hate them. Cheap bags bother you that much? seriously? Things like that, completely negligible things get on his nerves. That and his what seems to me not even trying to enjoy himself. It's like "I thought what I'd do is go out and have fun, but instead I just sat at home and smoked and wallowed in self pity. That's what I did." It's somewhat redeeming at the end when he says the thing about his sister needing to just go for the ring anyways and risk it but up until then he sacrifices so many experiences because he's anxious something might go wrong. That mindset prevented me from so many experiences as a teenager. I never did stupid shit because "I knew better" and I had pretty much nothing to show for it when all was said and done.
>>1618058
Will do.

[Sleepy No.1618081]

I always perceived Salinger's works as an invitation towards deconstructing his subtle characters. I found Holden to be interesting in that the person he uses to communicate with people isn't the same person hidden within himself. He he truly be a highly empathetic character and that idea could be defended.

>>1618058
Salinger makes hefty use of a particular literary trick in his 9 stories, which in a way tainted his works for myself because I was always awaiting the twist at the end of each story to occur. I believe Salinger eventually criticized his use of such emotional twists.

[Anonymous No.1618084]

d/c sleepy laughing man is mad touching and bananafish is one of the most perfect pieces of short fiction ever written get at me

[Anonymous No.1618086]

I sorry, I can't hear this discussion. I was just too mad at the fact that the worst artists in the world are always trying to draw Holden and make me hating even though I think his character and Catcher in the Rye are absolutely enjoyable. Salinger didn't like illustrations, it's disrespectful to the author.

Am I the only one who gives a shit about the rules?

[Sleepy No.1618099]

>>1618084
I do admit that Laughing Man is a touching story. I am also deeply attached to Just Before the War With the Eskimos.

[Anonymous No.1618109]

>>1618086
Bollocks to the rules!

It's fan art. Why care?

[­ No.1618118]

So whatever happened to the contents of Salinger's vault when he died?

My bad if this is common knowledge.

[Anonymous No.1618120]

>>1618081
>I found Holden to be interesting in that the person he uses to communicate with people isn't the same person hidden within himself.

I'm glad you said this, because I never heard anyone mention it about "Catcher." People are really quick to call Holden a hypocrite, for the fact that he, himself, is "fake" when interacting with people, but this division, to me, is what makes "Catcher." Holden doesn't want to be fake, but he has to be insincere in order just to muddle through his life. He has no option and hates himself for being cowed by society--projecting that hate onto the "phonies" who seem to have no problem in not being true to themselves.

[Anonymous No.1618122]

>>1618118

shit's not getting released for 50 years after salinger's death

literature police state

[Mike !W48S2eY4nU No.1618123]

he was a stupid faggot lol

[Anonymous No.1618124]

>>1618084
English motherfucker do you speak it
>>1618086
Calm, yes it's an amateur photoshop painting if you want to rage the authors name is in the title look him up on DA and flame him if you so please.

Also I'm all kinds of excited to read Nine Stories now.

>>1618109
what he said, theres much worse fan art. MUCH WORSE. Also Holden's an interesting character, illustrators die for opportunities to depict such distinct characters.

[Anonymous No.1618126]

Holden is a lovable boy. I just "found out" he was whiny years later when I first heard someone calling him that. In a way, most writers are "whiny" about the world, that's what make for internal conflict anyway. Holden, as a teenager, is completely honest with us (the reader) and he doesn't spare any of his commentaries about the world. I read the book with a smile on my face. If Holden was complaining about cheap bags, I imediatly realized I hated them too.

I'm not a native English speaker. If I depended on school I would have never heard of the Catcher in the Rye and I feel that most of the hate towards this book is because of this:
>So I finally knocked this badboy off my list
I don't think this is a good atitude to go for a book. Being forced to read it (if not for school, then for its popularity alone) will always build this wall between the book and us.

[Anonymous No.1618128]

>>1618126 cont.


I don't like to say "people don't get it", as if there was some high ground for people to be in order to understand it, specially about such a relatively easy book. But I honestly Catcher in the Rye tastes better from a certain point of view. Like with any other book, identifying yourself with a character is the easiest route to enjoy the book, but CitR takes all of those who doesn't share his mental state to a trap and Holden ends up looking like a fool.

He is at first glance exactly like that one kid we hate, but I believe Holden is a special guy, which works great with teenagers like myself at the time I read as I also thought I was special. He is sensible and intelligent, honest to himself, but not honest to others and, at the same time that he is honest to himself, he is also confuse about his own flow of information. He falls on complex contradictions, but understandable contradictions, because it feels absolutely natural. Everyone around him feels so certain and he stands out. There are many ways to read the interaction between his appearance, what he says to us, what he says to others, how he sees himself, how he sees the world, etc. "Phony". Great word.

[Anonymous No.1618133]

>>1618128
>>1618126
Nice posts.