I'm going to start off by saying I'm glad we are done with this book!
When we first started it, I wasn't really interested and it wasn't grabbing my attention whatsoever. I didn't necessarily think it was a bad book, just boring. It was hard for me to get into it so the first couple nights of reading were hard because I had to make myself sit down and read it. As we got further into it, it was easier for me to read in some ways. Holden still drove me crazy with his repetitiveness and his depressing attitude towards everything. I couldn't stand the way he hated absolutely EVERYTHING. I found it to be very annoying. But as we read, he became more and more odd so it wasn't quite as difficult to sit down and read it because I wanted to figure out what was going on with this guy. Another aspect of the book that kept me reading was the climax of the story. Some may ask, what climax? That's what I was saying too. I didn't really know where this story was going. There didn't seem to be much of a point to it. All it was to me was a bunch of random memories, people, and stories that didn't really connect. So I was hoping that as I kept reading, everything would come together and we would reach the climax. But to me, there really wasn't much of a climax. The story seemed pretty flat. The one major highlight of the book for me was when Holden was with his sistor at the carousal and he finally said he was happy. FINALLY! For once in this book he was hating the world.
Overall, it wasn't necessarily a bad book, it just wasn't the book for me. I'm glad we are done with it.
Good view point on the story! I have to disagree with you though. I really enjoyed reading this book. Holden was very repetitive, but at the same time there was different things happening throughout. I was always really excited to see what would happen next. I am sorry you didn't enjoy the book! Also, I agree with the climax thing. I believe there is no clear climax in the story and this disappointed me a lot!
ReplyDeleteGood points about the climax, Shelby and Brett. We'll touch on this a bit when we discuss heroic journeys later this week, but it would be an interestring discussion whether or not The Catcher in the Rye had plot resolution. Did Holden solve his conflict?
ReplyDeletehahahaa, Shelby I agree.
ReplyDeleteSome nights it was impossible for me to read, because Holden's outlook on life was so negative it made me mad.
I do have to admit though, it got better as we talked about it in class and I started to pick up on the different sybolisms in the book, but it's not necessarily a book I'd read again.
But I also agree with Brett it was dissapointing in the fact that their was no clear climax, because I felt like I was always waiting for something to happen.