Sep 28 2006
When a body meet a body…The Catcher in the Rye
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J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye
Yet that’s all I can remember. Don’t you hate it when you know you’ve read something, yet have no recollection of it? Luckily, there’s lots of information about the book, like a SparkNotes plot overview and study guide.
Wikipedia’s section on the controversy surrounding the book sent shivers down my spine because of mention of Mark David Chapman, the man who shot John Lennon. Chapman was obsessed with The Catcher in the Rye
As John and Yoko passed by, and entered the archway entrance of the building’s courtyard, Chapman dropped into a military firing stance and called out, "Mr. Lennon!" As Lennon turned to see who had called his name, Chapman shot him five times with hollow point rounds from a Charter Arms .38 revolver he had purchased in Hawaii.
Lennon was declared dead at 11:15 p.m. after losing more than eighty percent of his blood. Chapman sat down on the sidewalk and began reading what appeared to be a portion of The Catcher in the Rye after firing his shots, and was arrested without incident.
Damn. I have vivid memories of the night John Lennon was shot (I was a huge Beatles fan) and watching the coverage on Monday Night Football with my parents. But I don’t remember this book. A connection? Maybe. Even so, it may be time to reread The Catcher in the Rye.
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J.D. Salinger’s Holden Caulfield, Aging Gracelessly - by Jonathan Yardley of The Washington Post (October 19, 2004) - The Post’s book critic reconsiders notable and/or neglected books from the past
(Click here for more YA novel reviews.)
Technorati tags: children’s books, Banned Books Week, Catcher in the Rye
I tried to read this in high school, but had too much of that one guy’s fungus nails!
Mary
I’m like you I remember having to read the book but remember very little to nothing about it. The funny thing is I wrote a research paper on J.D. Salinger in a college lit. class and have read many of his short stories, after reading this blog I’m thinking it’s time to reread this book. I’ve found myself picking up several books that I read or was supposed to read (and didn’t thanks to Cliffs Notes)in High School and found as an adult I had a much greater appreciation for them.
I read it for the second time while in the US Army, Infantry. Yeah a soldier has time on his hands where ever he goes. Liked it guite a lot-the book, not the Infantry.
I was 20, and planned to be discharged at Ft Dix, New Jersey, just to spend some extra time in The Big City. No, I didn’t bring ‘the Catcher” with me– always gave away my books as soon as I’d read them.
Spent two weeks in NYC, staying at the Paramount Hotel, one block off Broadway. Classic example of the old style NY hotels, right down to the rather small rooms. Had a nice bar though, street level, where I met a couple pro writers (one whose books I’d actually heard of- at least some of the titles he rattled off- found he was quite gay) and several show girls from Radio City who lived in the hotel. Sat by one of them and Dianne was her name, had me going for a day or two.
Looked for Holden or some clue of his passing, but no luck. Made a goal of visiting all MY museums while I was there– and saw many anyway.
Lived on bagels and cheese, coffee and street vendor ‘dogs– with Chinese for a treat– Chinese on Broadway– where on one block you’ll find a selection of 3-4 or 5 very nice, comparitively classy, eateries featuring Mandarin/Peking style cooking. I noticed in each of the two I visited that they had a second or back room. Because that’s where they led me. Then I noticed half of these “back room” occupants were Black or Colored (1973). I was hungry and took little notice. Where I’d been the last two years, the US Infantry, fully one third were Black.
Once walked from my hotel on W46 St to the Met(ropolitan) Art Museum, across Broadway and Uptown some 40+ blocks and East a ways on the other side of the park. And back. Picked up a few blisters on the way. Wasn’t wearing my combat boots.
No true sign of Holden, but we shared some landmarks. But it was 1973, not 195x; I was 20, not 15?; and after two weeks I was counting my chips, looking forward to a stay in Chicago, where I was to switch from Rail to Greyhound but stay a while first.
They have this Art Institute, right on Michigan avenue… and lots of cheap cafeterias, kosher, and ‘dogs on the street, Chicago style…