The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

I read this "back in the day" although I can't recall if that was high school or college. I remember wondering what all the fuss was about. I didn't think it was particularly good or memorable... I do remember that it was frequently on banned book lists, and I didn't think it was bad enough for that designation either. I recall that I liked it okay; didn't understand why it was garnering so much attention. I remember thinking it was a little odd. That's about all I remember.

Then, this winter, Leonard and I watched a documentary on J.D. Salinger. It intrigued us both. Why did he later become such a recluse? Why was his personal life so tortured? It made us both want to read this "classic" again, so when I happened to find it in a used bookstore before we came on vacation, I snapped it up.

So, I just finished it today. Again, I'm not sure what the fuss was about. It's interesting to go into the mind of a seriously troubled 16-year old. It's fascinating to read about his ease in New York City. It was depressing to read about all of his troubled relationships...and his cynicism...

I'm wondering if it is Holden Caulfield's despair that made this book attractive to John Lennon's murderer. As if, somehow, this despair justifies murder? I don't understand that impulse or connection. I found the book not depressing, exactly, but sad. His utter lack of joy was sad and his lack of belief in himself was heart-breaking. His love for his siblings represented the only positive in the book, and that wasn't enough (within the timeline of the story) to get him out of his downward spiral.  But maybe it was, since it ends soon after his time with Phoebe (Holden's little sister). I love how he enjoyed the fresh perspective and utter frankness of children.