Does anyone actually like the catcher in the rye?

Submitted by Piazytiabet t3_10ncuhn in books

I just finished reading it yesterday, and although I don’t regret reading it, I found it to be a very underwhelming book. I have heard from many sources that it is a classic and many creators on YouTube have praised it. But it’s really just not that great. The main character is quite unlikable and his narration is tedious and incredibly irritating to me since it includes so much repetition. I know that it was done on purpose, but I just hated it anyways. The depiction of queer characters and black characters was also just really bad, which I know is not a fair standard for a book this old, but I still found it to be off-putting at the very least. Overall I think I only enjoyed two chapters of this whole book and I just don’t understand where all the praise is coming from.

0

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

hornet0123 t1_j681vg8 wrote

A great book Holden is telling this story from a mental institution. He recounts a time when he was probably suffering PTSD from the death of his brother, he has little relationship with his parents, they ship him off to a boarding school, the only adult in his life who gives him any sort of guidance gropes him in his sleep, he alludes to the fact stuff like this has happened before. He is a very troubled kid trying to make some sense of the world.

I think the way this book is taught in high school is way off base

60

Mountain_Table_8070 t1_j6bvpm2 wrote

absolutely and well put.

Holden was me in highschool. so so angry at the world. I was probably somewhat annoying too. Holden is traumatized and actively going through more trauma. he’s just a kid. I have a lot of sympathy for him.

9

wordyshipmate82 t1_j682vtt wrote

Why do we have to like a character to enjoy a book, or to recognize why it matters? Yes, Holden is whiny, he's meant to be, but in terms of being disaffected and thinking everything is phony, most teenagers experience this (though perhaps not at Holden's level) at some point, so his stance is a universal one. This book was written in the 50's, when their were few real ways for teenagers to rebel; they were expected to fit a specific mold, and never question authority, so Holden does not fit in the world in which he lives (again, a feeling many of us, teenagers and not, can relate to).

Catcher is not even close to my favorite book, but there is a certainly a reason it stands the test of time.

57

bachennoir t1_j68hqvt wrote

Your first point is one of my biggest gripes when it comes to discussing books with other people. Everyone seems to think that all main characters should be good and likable with minor flaws. Boring. Morally ambiguous characters are my favorite, because when they are well-written, they bring realism and moral questions to the story. Characters can and should be unlikeable sometimes. They should challenge our perspectives or present us with realities that we don't usually see.

I don't have to like Humbert Humbert or anything he says or does to see that Lolita is an exceptionally well written book. The unreliable narrator makes you question the story they're telling you, making you engage with the context clues in the story more.

28

wordyshipmate82 t1_j68j8ut wrote

I agree entirely, I love Lolita even though Humbert disgust me because I don't have to relate to the protagonist to enjoy reading. And I think most real humans are morally ambiguous at some point or another, so characters without deep flaws are unrealistic and poor writing.

I agree with everything you said, actually, "challenge our perspectives..." which is exactly the point of good literature, beyond entertainment, it forces us to confront unpleasant realities, and by proxy, ourselves.

6

Equivalent_Method509 t1_j6996vs wrote

Yes! It drives me crazy when someone critiques a book by saying the main character isn't likable. For God's sake, most people aren't likable.

15

scarletseasmoke t1_j68hcqy wrote

I like it. But I never saw the MC as an "annoying little shit" or anything like that, the guy's dream is to save kids from getting traumatized like he was, his coping mechanisms are just really very bad. He's a child himself going through a crisis.

But I fully agree some things aged like milk, and some things were not handled very well to begin with.

24

Bergenia1 t1_j687c5z wrote

It's an unpleasant book, deliberately so. It's the POV of an annoying little shit with a lot of mental problems. He's an irritating character, so it's not fun to spend time with him.

This book is similar to Lolita in that both books put you inside the head of an unpleasant person. Of course, in the case of Humbert Humbert, he's evil and criminal, as well as unpleasant.

17

Ilikezucchini t1_j68phm6 wrote

It's such an elegant little novella with very little it that is extraneous. We have all, to some degree, been as callow as Holden, albeit in different ways.

14

passing-stranger t1_j692xcy wrote

Haven't read it in a while but I loved it. I was also a teen struggling with mental health issues and unresolved trauma.

Maybe I'll add it to the reread list this year

13

ExtremeTEE t1_j68q94p wrote

I read it recently and really like it. I found the style interesting and engaging and it was a great snapshot of the past. Also funny!

8

minskoffsupreme t1_j6axru1 wrote

Yes, I love it. It's a realistic and nuanced portrayal of grief, sometimes you need that. I actually find him very relatable given the character's circumstances.

6

TeamTurnus t1_j6b744m wrote

Love it. It's a book about a messed up kid (from things like his brother recently dying of luekema, going to a boarding school where students are bullied to suicide (one he witnessed)) and nobody really seems to he there to help him with any of this, so he fantasized about helping keep other kids from experiencing the same as a maladaptive coping mechanism. But this window into this kids head, and how he tries to and (imo) begins to process his experience and begin to accept them, are super compelling to me. Folks who call him an annoying kid either were probably forced to read it while they were also an 'annoying' child or they're just unwilling or unable to empathize with this poor kid and just see the immature (after all he's 16) coping mechanisms and reactions to the society he lived in.

6

BlatchfordS t1_j6by8ze wrote

The title of this thread actually resembles something Holden would say. Except Holden probably would have italicized something. "Does anyone actually like the Catcher in the Rye?"

6

gustasilvab t1_j6938y3 wrote

Does anyone actually likes one of the most celebrated novels in history???

I don't like, so how can anyone else like it???

5

WilsonStJames t1_j6cb5vh wrote

I don't love the book, but respect it. Think it suffers from.sienfield syndrome. Revolutionary at its time, but a trope now, because the revolutionary parts have been copied, parodied and referenced to death

5

pohovanatikvica t1_j6bp72m wrote

It's a good one, I don't think we have to like the character in order to enjoy the book. It's actually boring for me when main character is always a good guy and all those typical things.

4

Necrensha t1_j680kg5 wrote

No, everybody is pretending.

3

Shadow-Works t1_j68ibqj wrote

Creator’s on YouTube?! Who gives a shit! Read what you like… and also you don’t get it, it is a classic, it’s bloody amazing. Your loss

3

SLPeaches t1_j6cjt19 wrote

Idk I liked it. It's a good view into toxic masculinity from the perspective of a severely mentally ill teenage boy who's been repeatedly traumatized. He's a total shitter and at times incel light but he's also realizes how much he sucks and doesn't want to be the way he is.

For the 1950's this is a pretty unique perspective, especially since the audience is supposed to dislike him yet sympathize with his misplaced rage both toward himself and the world.

3

ncannavino11 t1_j69wjh0 wrote

How old is OP? It might hit differently if you're too old

2

CAJ16 t1_j6bfkk8 wrote

Yes. The majority of people that have ready it like it.

2

Truecurrency8789 t1_j6bjchw wrote

I love it and always will. I love Holden, warts and all. He is delightfully human and most teens are every bit as annoying, self-pitying and self important as Holden is. But most teens are also just as sensitive, funny and capable of touching insight and tenderness.

Of course he’s an annoying little shit. I used to be one myself. Maybe I still am. My point is: Holden contains multitudes, just like all of us.

2

retread2017 t1_j6eb4v9 wrote

Catcher In the Rye is a book that breathes loneliness. No, it's not a comfortable read, but it was never meant to be. Layered over the top of this reality are issues related to profanity, dishonesty, atheism, alcoholism, sexual promiscuity, and homosexuality. Meaning-human society. Believe it or not, at one time (1978) it was banned in some schools in Washington that tagged it as subversive (communism). Other bans were attempted in 1963 for whatever...Although the book was written for adults, it has most often been a teaching tool in high schools. Holden's gray hair on one side of his head has been thought to symbolize his growth from innocence toward a mature adult. The book leaves open both questions of innocence and maturity for Holden and other characters.

2

clvrusernombre t1_j698qf4 wrote

I haven’t read it since high school and absolutely didn’t like it. Maybe I should try it again as an adult.

1

crzhaiti t1_j69rp2m wrote

Franny & Zooey is better.

1

Stoic2218 t1_j6asfri wrote

Yes we all do, society does, did she put her rook in the back, I don’t know I have her the time , Salinger is a minor god to most US intellectuals

1

Cloudsy_dude84 t1_j6buuu3 wrote

He left the foils on the goddam subway…

1

Wingkirs t1_j6czxu1 wrote

I didn’t appreciate it until I was in my mid-late twenties.

1

KTeacherWhat t1_j6dl96c wrote

I liked it when I was 14. It was entirely because of being allowed to say sonofabitch in class. I don't know if I'd like it today.

1

the-willow-witch t1_j6g1twx wrote

I liked it. Read it like 15 years ago though, and I was a pretentious 15 year old.

1

Still-No-Astronaut t1_j6gsc26 wrote

I had almost the exact same reaction. Perhaps if it wasn't so hyped, I would have approached it differently. I wondered if it was the kind of thing that was unique in its day, but just didn't translate now. I read it several years ago, so my memory is not crisp, but it certainly didn't make me want to read more Salinger.

1

Tonker_ t1_j6jo1v3 wrote

I think it's one of the greatest examples of good first person narration. You really get into Holdens head in Catcher in the Rye. The story basically doesn't have a plot, let's be honest, why people like it is because the main character is interesting.

1

smallblackrabbit t1_j6auqbr wrote

I read it at 17 and wasn't impressed. I can barely recall anything about it year later.

0

BartholomewBandy t1_j6buorl wrote

I know a guy who knows a guy that does. I think I heard about another guy, as well.

0

keesouth t1_j683k8a wrote

The book is fine but I really found Holden whiny and annoying. I don't understand why this book gets so much love. I wonder if I would have felt differently if I'd read it as a teenager but I was in my 30's and I just couldn't stand Holden.

I discussed it with someone who read it when it originally came out and they said at the time people loved the main character because no one had ever written a teenager like that. All other teenage characters were perfect but Holden felt real to them.

−3

KimBrrr1975 t1_j68ukzb wrote

Love Catcher in the Rye. I think it is much more gauged towards certain age groups and reading it as an adult is likely different than as a similar-aged teen. I read it when I was probably 14 or so the first time and really enjoyed it. Gave me a lot to think about at that age. My sons also enjoyed it in their teens. I don't really have an issue separating a an older book's issues compared to current times. I just read books for what they are, when they are without applying today's concepts and ideologies.

−4

3FloorsBelow t1_j6a5y2q wrote

I read it in my teen and thought he was insufferable. I did not enjoy reading that. I felt like the book was trying to envoke sympathy or whatever but it had the opposite effect.

0

Shaveyourbread t1_j681atq wrote

I've never finished it. I hated it that much.

−5

BookishBitching t1_j680lcf wrote

I hated Holden. He's a spoiled, snotty little boy with an ego complex. I find it fascinating that it's on so many school reading lists because it's supposed to be an insight into the mind of a teenaged boy, yet I can't recall a single book from a teenaged girl's point of view being required reading. Maybe things are different now, I graduated a long time ago.

−11

wordyshipmate82 t1_j6832ji wrote

This is a valid point, syllabi are still often weighed heavily toward men; that doesn't detract from the book; however. I think a book from a teenaged girl's POV should indeed be taught; if you have any suggestions, please let me know; I know I have read some, and they've been great, but I can't recall them off the top of my head.

2

BookishBitching t1_j684wya wrote

I'll be honest I haven't read much YA in the past few years so I'd not be the best person to recommend. Any librarians want to chime in? Haha

−1

Piazytiabet OP t1_j680wjv wrote

I had the same thoughts about Holden. He keeps calling everyone a “phony”, yet he himself isn’t that great. Also I don’t think this is a great insight into the mind of a teenage boy, since Holden isn’t a normal teenage boy. He is heavily traumatized and in need of help, and he constantly refuses to address issues with himself.

−10

ri-mackin t1_j68494m wrote

The part where he's a hypocrite is actually a strength. A protagonist doesn't need to be likable for you to empathize with them.

14

BookishBitching t1_j6814dg wrote

I'd agree, I'm just parroting what many teachers have told me about why it's on the syllabus.

−1

EnterJohn t1_j688m5u wrote

Kill John Lennon

−13