Catcher in the Rye

So I have been dabbling in what I call "The Asshole's Required Reading List," which is something I apply to books I haven't read/have no interest in reading, but everybody insists are "classics" or "essential" or some crap like that. Why? Its an exercise to help get my own creative juices flowing again. If I read something a lot of people are familiar with, I usually can find a way to make fun of it.

Today's book is "Catcher in the Rye," and let me tell you, I thought there could never be another book as whiny and boring as Twilight is, but I was WRONG. THIS thing is just... wow. Boring? Check. Whiny? Check. Overrated? Check and mate. Seriously, this guy cannot stop complaining ABOUT EVERYTHING! I don't understand WHY people love this book so much. It nothing but angsty drivel for pages upon pages. It embodiment of the whole OMG! MY FEELINGS! LISTEN TO THEM NOW! phenomenon where kids think all their feelings are interesting and MUST be shared with the rest of the world.

I kept waiting for something interesting to happen. But Doc Brown never showed up in the DeLorean and Jody never showed up and made Holden her dayslave. Fucking BOO! In my next novel there will for sure be a Holden-themed character that either gets killed or beat up.
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Scruffy|SRD Books

Halfway through Catcher in the Rye I didn't just quit reading it, I threw it away. I was forced to read The Scarlet Letter in school and hated it, but it was ten times better than Catcher in the Rye.
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"We went together like Kennedys and head wounds."--Lenny Kapowski

Earlier today I got really excited about a novel idea that combined the plots and themes of Catcher and Back to the Future. Basically, instead of Marty McFly being the time traveler, it would be a Holden Caulfeild-esque character. But after several hours of thought, I don't think a character so unlikeable would be able to carry the entire novel, so I think I'm gonna develop the idea further and move the Holden character into either a shared-lead or supporting role.
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Scruffy|SRD Books

So if a book was described as a "retard version of Catcher in the Rye", you'd think it redundant?
I'm guessing you're not an emo fan...

I read it back when I required constant textual input & don't recall any particular take on it-
it's pretty rare that I stop reading a book in disgust though I will subsequently ban certain authors...

*coughs* Dean Koontz *coughs*

Boota wrote:

Halfway through Catcher in the Rye I didn't just quit reading it, I threw it away. I was forced to read The Scarlet Letter in school and hated it, but it was ten times better than Catcher in the Rye.

Believe it or not, I read that one on my own time-
it wasn't awful but it is the reason I'm so disturbed by AL's sports logo...

Seems like we had a thread for who's read what classics at one time though that was years ago...

I agree with Catcher being crappy, but I think it's only crappy because you have some perspective on life. If you're under, say, 19, it probably rocks, but I didn't read it until my 30s. It felt really self-indulgent and, yes, "phony" to me.

LostInWalmart wrote:

I agree with Catcher being crappy, but I think it's only crappy because you have some perspective on life. If you're under, say, 19, it probably rocks, but I didn't read it until my 30s. It felt really self-indulgent and, yes, "phony" to me.

Ya know, that might be why I didn't like LOTR, I was around 30 when I read it-
nah, I never liked unpronouncable names...

I know, what is up with unpronounceable names?? I can't keep them straight.
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Mark it 8, Dude.

You have to try not to pronounce it but, rather, treat it as a graphic that represents a character.
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kthxbai

This is also largely the case with new characters introduced in any Star Wars Expanded Universe novels. Not only that, there is SO much going on in those novels that you HAVE to read EVERY SINGLE BOOK to understand what the hell they are talking about in the latest book. It's like DC and Marvel that way, and people wonder why books like these have such a hard time growing their audience.
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Scruffy|SRD Books

My daughter had to read Catcher in the Rye for school. She complained about it being horrible. I had never read it, so I decided to do so. I have to say she was right. It was one of the worst books I've ever read. I kept reading it thinking there had to be a point to it, it had to get better. Never did. I don't know why English teachers assign it so much, except that it is a great example of crappy writing.

Naked and Famous wrote:

I kept reading it thinking there had to be a point to it, it had to get better. Never did.

That's exactly how I felt about the last Dean Koontz book I read-
wanted to throw it across the room when I was done
but couldn't be bothered to waste any more energy on it...

I sense the makings of a "MOST OVERRATED BOOKS" thread here...