If I had tried to read Catcher in the Rye as an adolescent, I would have been outrageously frustrated. Holden (the narrator) is all over the place. Every thought in his head spills onto the page. He says a lot of swear words. He's a little crazy - seriously. He's actually a little crazy. He is just so intense that he's a little exhausting.
I had to take a few breaks.
That being said, I'm tremendously happy I read this novel as an adult. I found Holden endearing, heart breaking, hilarious, frustrating, confusing, complex. I found him incredibly fascinating, and I am still wondering why he would choose to be a catcher in the rye above all things? I guess this was an effective novel, since I'm still thinking about it....
Anyway, that phrase "catcher in the rye" is from a Robert Burns poem. I looked it up. It's a masterpiece, and I feel like reading it has rounded out Holden for me in a way I wouldn't have understood without the poem:
O Jenny is all wet, poor body,
Jenny is seldom dry:
She draggled all her petticoats,
Coming through the rye!
Coming through the rye, poor body,
Coming through the rye,
She draggled all her petticoats,
Coming through the rye!
Should a body meet a body
Coming through the rye,
Should a body kiss a body,
Need a body cry?
Should a body meet a body
Coming through the glen,
Should a body kiss a body,
Need the world know?
Should a body meet a body
Coming through the grain,
Should a body kiss a body,
The thing is a body's own.
Also, this song is stellar, so click here.
4 comments:
I read Catcher in the Rye my senior year of High School in Mr. Miranda's AP lit class and found Holden extremely frustrating. I think the whole class was mad at him for revealing (when we were done with the book) that his red cap was the key to everything. Haha. Maybe I should give it a second go as an adult. :) p.s. i love your blog...oh and you, too! :D
I met a boy in college who was just like Holden. And that poem is new to me. The poem is about as deep as the book in some ways.
What do you think about him as having some disorder? Autism? I wanted to talk to someone about the book, but I haven't read it in years.
ACW - The poem is interesting, isn't it? I feel like it kind of completed my understanding of/journey with Holden. It's a strange poem.
I definitely think Holden has a disorder of some sort, perhaps on the spectrum: Aspergers, maybe? Some of the stuff he does really trips me out. I try to imagine him as one of my future students, and I picture him with severe social disorders and attention issues, ADHD?
I read Catcher in the Rye when I was in HS. I'm old though...should probably read it again,.
Post a Comment