The Catcher in the Rye

themes 

• teenage confusion
• angst
• sexuality
• alienation
• identity
• belonging
• connection
• rebellion

How cool is it?

• 100 best English novels written since 1923 in Time’s 2005
• 100 best English novels of the 20th century by Modern Library
• "3 perfect books" in American literature, along with Huckleberry Finn and The Great Gatsby by Adam Gopnik

 

In Popular Culture

Who Wrote Holden Caulfield? / GreenDay

 

Catcher in the Rye / Guns N Roses

 

Finding Salinger / Andrew! E8

 

The Tale of Scrotie McBoogerballs / South Park S14E2

i don't know how to embed it here!! it's directly from the homepage

more cultural references

Shootings (this ain’t cool)

• Mark David Chapman's shooting of John Lennon. Chapman identified with the novel's narrator to the extent that he wanted to change his name to Holden Caulfield. On the night he shot Lennon, Chapman was found with a copy of the book in which he had written "This is my statement" and signed Holden's name. Later, he read a passage from the novel to address the court during his sentencing. Daniel Stashower speculated that Chapman had wanted Lennon's innocence to be preserved by death, inspired by Holden's wish to preserve children's innocence despite Holden's later realization that children should be left alone.
• After John Hinckley, Jr.'s assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan in 1981, police found The Catcher in the Rye among half a dozen other books in his hotel room.
• Robert John Bardo, who murdered Rebecca Schaeffer, was carrying the book when he visited Schaeffer's apartment in Hollywood on July 18, 1989.

 

finally finish reading it

i been reading book all summer

but this is the one that inspired to blog about it immediately

because it’s just too cool to give it a miss

know i found the reason why

i have been so emo and angst recently

thanks to the book

 

and i guess like the millions other readers out there

i found loads of similarity between myself and Holden

we all have gone through the same processes of growing

but there is one similarity that you can’t beat me

we both dropped out of school, NICE!!!!

 

but there is a stark difference too

which i consider myself quite unfortunate

i don’t have a little sister who is willing to runaway with me

who enjoys chewing the fats at midnights

all i got is a elder sister

that is…. gross selfish

 

just yesterday

i was hanging around at Muar

which is pretty near her place

so i just dropped her a message

telling her that is it possible to meet up

and i can hitch a ride home

but i don’t put in much hope

just that i don’t wanna appear miserable

in front of friends

you know, going there alone with bus

coming home alone too

 

so that’s what i got

some bullshit excuses

so i told everyone, i gotta go home by bus

because it just so happened that

my sis is not going back Melaka yesterday

Carly’s mom was saying

oh but she can still fetch back, can’t she

it’s just so near

and she gets to see her daughter too

wait a millions year

so i was just smiling

“oh, maybe she is just busy, you know Raya coming”

cool isn’t it

she didn’t even ask how i gonna get home

 

i gonna read this again and again

like Holden

i kinda miss everything from the past

even the bloody maths lectures

but knowing well that i can’t go back

gosh i really feel like banging myself on the wall now

i don’t even talk to my parents now

because it is really sickening

so basically there’s no-one i talk to in the family

there’s no-one i talk to in everyday life

except my 4 years old niece

 

Welcome to my life!!!! / Simple Plan

 

Who Wrote Holden Caulfield? / GreenDay A thought burst in my head and I need to tell you It's news that I for thought Was it just a dream that happened long ago? I think that I just forgot Well it hasn't been the first time And it sure does drive me mad There's a boy who fogs his world and now he's getting lazy There's no motivation and frustration makes him crazy He makes a plan to take a stand but always ends up sitting. Someone help him up or he's gonna end up quitting I shuffle through my mind To see if I can find The words I left behind Was it just a dream that happened long ago? Oh well... Never mind. Well it hasn't been the first time And it sure does drive me mad There's a boy who fogs his world and now he's getting lazy There's no motivation and frustration makes him crazy He makes a plan to take a stand but always ends up sitting. Someone help him up or he's gonna end up quitting There's a boy who fogs his world and now he's getting lazy There's no motivation and frustration makes him crazy He makes a plan to take a stand but always ends up sitting. Someone help him up or he's gonna end up quitting There's a boy who fogs his world and now he's getting lazy There's no motivation and frustration makes him crazy He makes a plan to take a stand but always ends up sitting. Someone help him up or he's gonna end up quitting

Catcher In The Rye / Guns N Roses When all is said and done We're not the only ones Who look at life this way That's what the old folks say But every time I see them Makes me wish I had a gun If I thought that I was crazy Well I guess I'd have more fun (Guess I'd have more fun) Oooh, the Catcher In The Rye Again Won't let ya get away from him (Tomorrow never comes) It's just another day... Like today You decide Cause I don't have to And then they'll find And I won't ask you At anytime Or long hereafter If the cold outside's As I'm imagining It to be Oh, no Lana nana na na na Lana nana na nana Ooh, the Catcher In The Rye Again Won't let ya get away from him (Tomorrow never comes) It's just another day... Like today When all is said and done We're not the only ones Who look at life this way That's what the young folks say But every time I see them Makes me wish I had a gun If I thought that I was crazy Well I guess I'd have more fun (Guess I'd have more fun) Cause what used to be's Not there for me And ought to for someone That belongs... Insane... Like I do Oh, no Not at all On an ordinary day Not in an ordinary way All at once the song I heard No longer would it play For anybody Or anyone That needed comfort from somebody Needed comfort from someone Who cared To be Not like you And unlike me And then the voices went away from me Somehow you set the wheels in motion That haunt our memories You were the instrument You were the one How a body Took the body You gave that boy a gun You took our innocence Beyond our stares Sometimes the only thing We counted on When no one else was there

Welcome To My Life / Simple Plan Do you ever feel like breaking down? Do you ever feel out of place? Like somehow you just don't belong And no one understands you Do you ever wanna run away? Do you lock yourself in your room? With the radio on turned up so loud That no one hears you screaming No you don't know what it's like When nothing feels all right You don't know what it's like To be like me To be hurt To feel lost To be left out in the dark To be kicked when you're down To feel like you've been pushed around To be on the edge of breaking down And no one's there to save you No you don't know what it's like Welcome to my life Do you wanna be somebody else? Are you sick of feeling so left out? Are you desperate to find something more? Before your life is over Are you stuck inside a world you hate? Are you sick of everyone around? With their big fake smiles and stupid lies While deep inside you're bleeding No you don't know what it's like When nothing feels all right You don't know what it's like To be like me To be hurt To feel lost To be left out in the dark To be kicked when you're down To feel like you've been pushed around To be on the edge of breaking down And no one's there to save you No you don't know what it's like Welcome to my life No one ever lied straight to your face And no one ever stabbed you in the back You might think I'm happy but I'm not gonna be okay Everybody always gave you what you wanted You never had to work it was always there You don't know what it's like, what it's like To be hurt To feel lost To be left out in the dark To be kicked when you're down To feel like you've been pushed around To be on the edge of breaking down And no one's there to save you No you don't know what it's like (what it's like) To be hurt To feel lost To be left out in the dark To be kicked when you're down To feel like you've been pushed around To be on the edge of breaking down And no one's there to save you No you don't know what it's like Welcome to my life Welcome to my life Welcome to my life