The Catcher In The Rye

This book was not at all what I thought would be. All I knew going into it was how controversial it was, that it is still high up on the banned list, and was carried by the assassin who killed John Lennon when he fired the deadly shot. Given all that, I expected something totally outrageous, borderline (if not outright) offensive, and practically a promoter of anarchy. I was pleasantly surprised - to me, it was none of these things.

What it turned out to be is a well-written, funny, realistic and relatable story of male teenage angst and desperation in 1950s New York. I really quite liked Holden Caulfield, angst and all. I appreciated his totally raw thought processes and his acute self awareness. I appreciated his intolerance for phonies, and his love of his little sister. There is some language, and a few F-words at the end, and sex is a very casual topic (though not sexually explicit). From what I have read these are a few of the reasons it is such a controversial book, and I personally don't quite understand it. I for one, am very glad I read it.