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I'm teaching it right now, to high school sophomores. Any suggestions?



...also, any comments or observations about the book (since I'd be in a bad way if I were fishing for teaching strategies on an internet forum). I like it. Can only handle it in small chunks, because it's too depressing otherwise, but the wild, erratic stream of consciousness style and struggle between innocence and maturity works for me.

Also very amusing at times, and highly quotable.

Originally posted by DigiMark007


...also, any comments or observations about the book (



Only that it's the best American novel ever written; I consider The great Gatsby French that where Fitzgerald's lived.

Originally posted by Blue_Hefner
Only that it's the best American novel ever written; I consider The great Gatsby French that where Fitzgerald's lived.

you're not very well read, are you?

Sorry, I don't proofread.

try me

Originally posted by Blue_Hefner
Only that it's the best American novel ever written; I consider The great Gatsby French that where Fitzgerald's lived.

Bit nutty.

It's by an American, about America.

so much so that the original title was "under the red, white, and blue"

Originally posted by manorastroman
try me

???

Catcher in the Rye is a book that I hear it great.

http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/420/piece27ww3.gif

Originally posted by Blue_Hefner
Only that it's the best American novel ever written; I consider The great Gatsby French that where Fitzgerald's lived.

Seriously, what the f*ck are you talking about?

I love The Great Gatsby, by the way. Especially the way Fitzgerald called places 'Egg'. Love it.

i have to say Catcher in the Rye suck, i dont understand what point in that story, and i dont enjoy too much of swearings in that book, drive me to tear that book and throw it away in trash, disgusted that i wasted money that book, but i dont understand why my teacher want me to read it, my english teacher never tell me whole points, she want me to reread it all over again, i was like what? NO WAY! i guess can anybody tell me whole point in that book??

Originally posted by zeldaboyz
i have to say Catcher in the Rye suck, i dont understand what point in that story, and i dont enjoy too much of swearings in that book, drive me to tear that book and throw it away in trash, disgusted that i wasted money that book, but i dont understand why my teacher want me to read it, my english teacher never tell me whole points, she want me to reread it all over again, i was like what? NO WAY! i guess can anybody tell me whole point in that book??

It's about the transition from the innocent world of childhood to the experienced, jaded, cynical world of adulthood, and the struggles connected with that change in lifestyle and perspective. No one who teaches it is going to be able to avoid that for the entire novel, and I find it hard to believe you didn't do anything with the book except read it (and "re-read" it when you were finished).

Oh! It's also about proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Yeah. Definitely about that too.

sorry, i am still lost!

It's a good book, and Digi pretty much summarized the point of the book, and the message of it.

Simply put, growing up isn't that easy, and you might encounter some obstacles.

I still can't figure out how it inspired that guy Mark something to kill John Lennon. He even hired a prostitute just to talk with her like Holden did!

really?? u means in real world?? wow

Originally posted by EFFPS
I still can't figure out how it inspired that guy Mark something to kill John Lennon. He even hired a prostitute just to talk with her like Holden did!

Holden's messed up and pissed at the world. A lot of "crazies" are too, and use Holden's character as sort of a rallying point for their own misguided tendencies, not realizing that the author uses the ending to undermine Holden's life choices, painting a bleak picture of such a random cynical lifestyle.

Mel Gibson's character in "Conspiracy Theory" has multiple copies of the book, for instance.

So I doubt it was a specific passage or whatever that inspired the dude....it was probably just moral justification for an idea he already had planted in his head.

Originally posted by DigiMark007
Holden's messed up and pissed at the world. A lot of "crazies" are too, and use Holden's character as sort of a rallying point for their own misguided tendencies, not realizing that the author uses the ending to undermine Holden's life choices, painting a bleak picture of such a random cynical lifestyle.

I believe he refers to them as "phonies".

We had it in the first year in high school (in English class). I liked it very much, I found it very intriguing. I can't say I have any good sugestions for you, sorry.

Regards, Yvonne

Ha...I got confused.

I thought we talked about the Great Gatsby.

Which somehow....didn't fit with the general discussion after Floo's post.

I just read it a few months and ago and I liked it a lot. I'm sick of all the people who say all that Holden does is complain. He gets troubled by all the hypocrisy around him and when he sees it in himself he gets sad. Its about trying to hold on to your childish innocence and also being an adult at the same time.

and what with people saying that there's too much swearing.... there's many more popular books that have a lot more swearing in it.

Amen Prabhodh

Originally posted by Blue_Hefner
I believe he refers to them as "phonies".

Right, but I was referring to real-world people, not the ones Holden refers to in the novel.

I'm thinking that I need to go back and re-read Catcher in the Rye.

When I first read it, I was already severely depressed due to the fact that the girl I had been dating for a long time was intending to dump my ass for reasons I still don't know.

That being said, the book didn't help.

Therefore, I didn't like it much.

Writing style is awesome, though, and I agree, highly quotable.

Catcher in the Rye is one of my all time favorite novels. Read it in high school some twenty or so years ago.

what about the possibility that the entire book was written as aa CIA experiment?? the right person reads the right passage and boom... he kills John Lennon... the author was a CIA operative after all... or the (far more likely theory) that the author and Thomas Pynchon (V, The Crying of lot whatever..) are in fact the same person...