A review by smuds2
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

4.75

This book absolutely should not be taught in high school. How is it taught in high school? why is it taught in high school? UGH.

Let's get the prose out of the way. It's bad. Yeah. It's effective at what it does. but man is it jarring. It is truly impressive how grating it is - just like a 16 year old boy. I was constantly oscillating between "damn did you have to do us like this JD" and "wow this is working so well". I feel confident in saying, for the book, it was a good decision, but I wish there was an alternate version of this book that didn't have that prose (the sort ofs, the christsake, the a little's, etc). But then, I guess it wouldn't be this book.

Story wise - it is just so incredibly sad. A boy with so much potential who is constantly failed again and again by adults - adults who don't listen, or if they do listen, tell him what he should think instead of listening to what he thinks. Adults who scare him. Adults who offer him nothing but condescension for genuine curiosity and righteous anger at why society and people are the way they are. A boy who is asking the questions explicitly TELL HIM TO ASK but then get annoyed when he does ask. A system that tells him to be a critical thinker, but as soon as he critically thinks, in earnest, he gets shouted down.

Then the kids his age, constantly failing to talk to him on his own terms and develop genuinely meaningful connections with him. They're refusing to engage with his ideas as well, opting instead to take the easier path. They aren't at a spot where they can quite talk down to him, but they all, basically, say "you're no good for where i want to go". It's just genuinely heartbreaking.

All of this with the backdrop of a teen who just isn't given any support for processing his little brothers death. Who has been, on more than one occasion, acquainted with death. Who has seen a boy fall to his death and told he his falling as well.

It is really an incredibly sad and relatable story. I think if this book were either not forced down kids throats, or were taught in a way that was more significant than "he loves innocence", we wouldn't have this manosphere epidemic we have now. Holden EXPLICITLY calls it out - 70 YEARS AGO!!!! WHY are you working towards a new car??? WHY  are you not meaningfully connecting with women??? WHY do you only care about what your career makes others think of you???

I get frustrated just thinking about it.