Hello, everyone! Welcome to my newest topic- BOOKS! This topic is going to include book reviews and my opinions on what I’ve read. For my first BOOKS post, I decided to write about one of my favorites called “The Catcher In The Rye”. Enjoy!
~“I’m quite illiterate, but I read a lot,” - J.D. Salinger, 'The Catcher In The Rye'
So, have you read “The Catcher In The Rye”? If not, maybe at the end of this article, you’ll want to!
Even though this book was originally published in 1951, it’s not outdated. Some of the things they say are, but the majority of the book isn’t. I always forget it takes place almost seventy years ago because it isn’t your average writing style. For me, it’s one of those books that makes you feel like you’re with the main character, or, you're listening to a friend telling you about their day in great detail. Sometimes when I’m reading the book, it feels like I’m really there. Not really present in the moment the book takes place in, but there in the character’s mind. I find myself wanting to yell: ‘no don’t do that!’ or ‘do this instead’!
The main character’s name is Holden Caulfield. The previous year Holden had been expelled from a rich private all-boys prep school in Pennsylvania because of not trying/working hard enough in class (except Language Arts). But he absolutely couldn't care less. His parents had sent him to many schools, and every single one of them he disliked. He’s tired of being around all of the so-called ‘phonies’(He uses this word to describe almost everyone). He has only three days left until Christmas break where he will face his family with the news of failing. Instead of waiting around until then, he packed up all of his things and left in the middle of the night- without saying goodbye- to New York City to sort of ‘rest up’ until his three days were over. During his stay in the busy city, he gets himself into trouble and situations that taught Holden Caulfield things he never knew. It’s a really great story, and I think if you like an adventure, you should definitely read it.
If you like the genre bildungsroman, then The Catcher In The Rye is a perfect read for you. "To Kill A Mockingbird", "The Outsiders", "Little Women", "The Giver", and "The Perks Of Being A Wallflower", are all bildungsroman books. Bildungsroman books are about a person’s formative years or their spiritual education. Majority of these books in this genre are ‘coming to age’ books. The Catcher In The Rye is probably my favorite bildungsroman book that I’ve read so far.
The whole book is just inspiring. It makes you want to do things out of the ordinary. To take risks, try things on your own, and to be confident in who you are. Just as Holden did. Another reason why I love it is because he’s telling you a story about himself from a year before. And you can tell that he’s already so much different from when he was sixteen. It’s almost like he grew wiser or something.
I hope you all decide to read this book, because there isn’t any book like it. What are some of your favorite books? Write them down in the comments! Thanks for reading this week’s post, please like, subscribe, and come for more!
Great book. I agree. Reading is a terrific experience...transports the reader to another reality. Educational and fun.