The Catcher in the Rye- do you like it or not? (page 4)

Pistoff

It was assigned reading in HS; I refused to read it, good little dub that I was.

I read it several years ago, I thought it was great.

It was required sort of in HS; I missed the enlightened teachers and instead read Romeo and Juliet, Brave New World. Now as I approach my 6th decade, I have still not read it. I have read Hemingway though.

Chemical Emotions

BOTR, I kinda get what you mean. Personally, I wish the book was more obscure. Then it would be even cooler. :P

I think his lack of care about money and things is supposed to tell you something about his character.

Pistoff: LOL! I guess Holden's inclination to not exactly worship those in authority and his lack of faith would sure be "bad association" for a dub. Not to mention the cussing. What was it, about 6 "f*cks" in the last 1/3rd of the book? Then there's Sunny...

Darn it blondie, you should read it! Even if you hate it, it's worth a read just because it is, you know Catcher in the Rye. :)

And actually I'm reading Hemingway right now.

talesin

Which one? I loved The Sun Also Rises.

t

Chemical Emotions

A Farewell to Arms. My first Hemingway. :)

talesin

Enjoy! :)

Chemical Emotions

Oh, I am. :)

d

I liked my self when I was 17 now at 23 I can still relate. This is an drawing I got offline of what would probably look like.

d

Anyway, I kept walking and walking up Fifth Avenue, without any tie on or anything. Then all of a sudden, something very spooky started happening. Every time I came to the end of a block and stepped off the goddam curb, I had this feeling that I'd never get to the other side of the street. I thought I'd just go down, down, down, and nobody'd ever see me again. Boy, did it scare me. You can't imagine. I started sweating like a bastard – my whole shirt and underwear and everything. Then I started doing something else. Every time I'd get to the end of a block I'd make believe I was talking to my brother Allie. I'd say to him, "Allie, don't let me disappear. Allie, don't let me disappear. Allie, don't let me disappear. Please, Allie." And then when I'd reach the other side of the street without disappearing, I'd thank him. Then it would start all over again as soon as I got to the next corner. But I kept going and all. I was sort of afraid to stop, I think – I don't remember, to tell you the truth. I know I didn't stop till I was way up in the Sixties, past the zoo and all. Then I sat down on this bench. I could hardly get my breath, and I was still sweating like a bastard. I sat there, I guess, for about an hour. (25.8)

This is Holden’s rock-bottom, and you have to admit that he sounds pretty crazy here—like, he’s actually having a psychotic break. He says he’s “making believe,” but he’s “afraid to stop”—like the boundaries of reality and, well, madness are really starting to blur.

This is from schmoop website. I think we can all relate times in our life when we felt like going mad.

The Catcher in the Rye- do you like it or not?

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