For the first book I read this summer, I read The Catcher in the Rye. Before I read the book, I heard lots of different opinions about it. Some of my friends really enjoyed the book when they read it, while others did not like it at all. They thought that Holden was very whiney. But personally, I really enjoyed the book. I loved how the style of writing was just like a conversation. Most classic novels, sound very dated and at least to me, sound boring. This book sounded like it could have been published at least pretty close to present day. The book is so fast paced, and Holden switches topics all over the place so you are forced to read every word, which is great. I really liked way Holden told his story; the way he switched to random topics throughout the book kept me interested the entire time I was reading. One of my favorite parts was When Holden kept asking the cab driver about the ducks. "I mean does somebody come around in a truck or something and take them away, or do they fly away by themselves- go south or something?" (Salinger 81-82). It normally takes me a while to read some of these older classic novels because they can not keep my interest, but I finished this book in about three days!
When I started reading this book, I kept getting reminded of another book I have previously read. I found that The Catcher in the Rye and It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini have a lot in common. In Vizzini's book, the main character, Craig, is also depressed. In the book Craig feels overwhelmed with his life and checks himself into a mental hospital. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden is telling his story from some kind of mental hospital. There are many similarities in the style of writing from the authors, and the way the main characters think. It's Kind of a Funny Story is one of my favorite books, so there is no wonder that I also really enjoyed The Catcher in the Rye.
Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. Print.
No comments:
Post a Comment