Quote:
Originally Posted by Bookmaniac
I dispise this book. It simply portrays a boy, not quite a man, who because he hates himself and has no redeeming qualities gets himself kicked out of various schools and then ends up in an insane assylum. he is pathetic. He has no drive or redeeming actions. He is an all talk yellow person. To use his own terms. Holden Caufeild nauseates me. I forced myself to finish this book simply because it was on one of my self prescirbed summer reading lists. Despite this books other properties it is well writen and does protray a certain time in America. But I will never sympathise with the protagonist.
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I think you completely have gotten hold of the wrong end of the stick. From my point of view, Holden Caulfield is a teenager struggling with emotional problems as a result of his brothers premature death. The reason as to why he hates, is because he loves too much (and partially because he is afraid of conflict/change). Furthermore, he is obsessed with the purity of childhood and despises whatever might, in his opinion, ruin said beauty.
Now, I might of course be overanalyzing, but I think The Catcher in the Rye is interesting, not only for the amazing narrating, but also owing to its vivid portrayal of a psychologically challenged teenager.