TheGrateKhan t1_jcfkgnw wrote on March 16, 2023 at 2:04 PM

Reply to comment by devildogmillman in Did Footloose teach us nothing? by TheMobyDicks

I just cant stand Holden. Hes a whiny baby and one of the most annoying narrators to follow. Every other description of someone is calling them a "phoney" for some usually unjustified reason. Hes obscenely cynical of the world and everyone else in it, to the point where hes not even fun to follow. You are almost rooting for bad things to happen to him because hes one of the few protagonists that ive felt earns his misfortune and unhappiness.

The only takeaway I got out of CITR was to try my hardest not to turn into Holden Caulfield. If that was Salingers goal, then ill backtrack and say its actually a decent book.

Also, in one of the early chapters, he uses his prep school mattress as a fleshlight, and i think thats just kinda gross lol.

devildogmillman t1_jcfsfql wrote on March 16, 2023 at 2:58 PM

I mean yeah didnt like or finish the book when they assigned it to me in HS. It wasnt particularly offensive it just didnt grab me.

TheGrateKhan t1_jcfxmh1 wrote on March 16, 2023 at 3:32 PM

Oh i dont think Catcher is offensive or not age appropriate, I just didnt enjoy the book. The part where I said it can get banned was meant as a joke to try and lighten the mood because these topics are often dry and adversarial.

devildogmillman t1_jcg9zpe wrote on March 16, 2023 at 4:50 PM

No I just meant it doesnt personally offend my literary sensibility. But it is probably not a good book for high schoolers to read.

TheMobyDicks OP t1_jcg3j8c wrote on March 16, 2023 at 4:10 PM

>he uses his prep school mattress as a fleshlight

That's some funny shit! Gracias.