Another Death

I note that J D Salinger died about a week ago. I read his most famous book when I was 15 or 16. Published in 1951, it was, so I learned decades later, a post-war novel. Salinger served in the military during WWII. So his novel was categorized thus.

My English teacher, Mr Smith, said I should read the book. He thought I would like it and "could handle it." So he spoke to the high school librarian about it. The book was not on the general book shelves but was "hidden" in the back. She got it for me, and I read it. This was 1955 or 1956.

Large effect it had on me. Post-war or whatever, I loved it. I guess I read it surreptitiously, wondering if I should allow other students to see it, but I don't remember. I know the book shocked me because of what was in it--nothing much by today's standards and no vampires or wizards. But I had never read a book like that. It was about a kid and one I knew, sort of. I could understand him. After that book, there were many of its type, not many of its caliber.

In the 60 years since its publication it has been required reading for many high school students, and I have heard a complaint or several about it and about the messed up kid who occupies its pages. That's Holden Caulfield. I really don't understand these complaints and suspect they fall in with the standard complaint of many high school students: they hate to read anything.

I had one of my BSU writing classes read it after learning that most of them had never heard of it. General consensus: good book and plenty in there to talk about and to write a paper about.

I have read most of the other stories that Salinger wrote. I like them okay, but for me they cannot match The Catcher in the Rye.