You may recall
Some of you may recall (way back when) that I made a bold challenge to myself to read all the books on the top 100 Angus & Robertson book list.
Well several months later and I have put down the "Catcher in the Rye" (the 1st book) indefinately.
Although my sister will balk at this next sentence and of course try to convince me otherwise - I did not particularly like the book and really don't see how it has earned cult status.
Perhaps it has something to do with chinese whispers and people blindly accepting that this book is listed amongst the greats.
To sum up the book and the story bored me.
There I have gone against the grain yet again - and now I prepare myself for the bitter replies!
posted by Charlii Fandango @ 12:47 pm
6 Comments:
Chuckles. IF it was a good book, it wouldn't have gotten published in the first place.
Though I'm sure TCitR had LOADS of character development. NO FUCKING PLOT TO SPEAK OF but plenty of character development as they all work out which tea to drink (or similar).
When my 3-day novel masterpiece gets overlooked for something called TREMBLE (how the fuck could a novel fail to be shit with a title like that????) one knows the literary industry is up the kaiber.
The judges' comments (on Tremble) were of the line "They were really impressed with how the characters developed" WHAT THE FUCK? Where the fuck has the plot line gone these days???
I'm not saying char develop and plot progression are mutually exclusive, Hobb's 'The Liveship Traders' is an excellent example of how plot and char develop work synergistically to blow one’s socks off. HOWEVER plot is by all means the most important of the two, and CD SHOULD NEVER BE THE PLOT.
Rest assured when my own publishing company gets up and running there will be a concerted campaign to bring back the plot.
GRRRRRRRR society today is mega-fucked. Where’s my giant fucking red ball????
Argh, The Catcher in the Rye is on the list for a very good reason! If you look at it in the context of where it was in its time, it was revolutionary. JD Salinger was crucified by the conservative right once the book was released, not least of which was because it included the word 'fuck'. It was also a damning indictment on the upper class of New York and the snobbery of private boarding schools. Nowadays the content may seem tame, but at the time it was so shocking it was banned from schools and censored.
Even looking beyond all of this, Holden Caulfield is the definitive fucked up adolescant. He's confused, intelligent but ignored by the establishment that is so intent on forcing him into one of their boxes. Best of all, he doesn't realise that in his own way he's tied up in the notion of phoniness. He always talks about how people are phoney and how they should be more real. He'll go on and on for pages about a character or attitude that he hates, then finish with 'to tell you truth, i don't really want to talk about it'. He is endearing to us because we see ourselves in him - despite his rallying against phonies, even he has his affectations - such as the woodsman hat he wears and the excessive amounts of alcohol he drinks. The notion of 'the catcher in the rye' is that return to innocence that we all long for but will never achieve, because sooner or later the burden of adulthood wacks us over the head. Please, please Charlotte - try and read it again, it's excellent! And if you can't read that, then try Salinger's 'Franny and Zooey' or 'To Esme with Love and Squalor'.
As for Pool God's irritation at his own book not being published - well, it's true that publishing these days can be a load of crap. But it's unfair to compare the willingness of publishing houses to publish Tremble, a book that's been released in the last five years, with something that was so socially subversive released over half a century ago.
I may try reading it again but considering I have never been able to read a book twice it may not be for a decade or two.
Cant see how Tremble and TCitR are any different there aud. U pretty much just summed up exactly what I presumed TCitR to be. No fucking plot. Lots of decisions about chamomile tea. And exactly who the fuck is longing to be innocent again? Fucking grow up all ye who are. 'Innocent' = Ignorance. PG prefers knowledge. Unfortunately this puts PG in the minority.
And one last thing aud....by your description seems to me TCitR is....DATED. That is....NOT A CLASSIC. Therefore.....NOT WORTH READING.
And as for this Holden Caulfield dude...seems like one mega tool to me. Thats going on a synopsis on a blog but Ill assume said synopsis to be accurate.
In fact....*smirk*...your post Aud seems to be more bloody interesting then the book. Hah. Irony. Gotta love it. *Checks over shoulder* Piss of Alanis....
PG out
oh no now I can c what ur saying. JUST because TCitR is crap now, it wasn't crap then and publishing houses were better then. Hmmm yes. But everything else stands.
Except for me. Im sitting. PG out
catcher in the rye was shit. it bored me to tears and i don't care about the context. in todays context its boring. good call chuck...
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