The Catcher in the Rye

J.D. Salinger, 1945-6. Read 9/13/21

I was not impressed. It was interesting and kept my attention, but it wasn't anything special. A very quick read.

In some ways, this reminded me of American Psycho, which was published in 1991. I kinda wonder if Ellison was inspired by this novel. They're similar in that you're given an unreliable narrator who clearly has some mental health issues, and who doesn't really tell you what's going on.

I'm not sure why this is considered a "classic" and is taught in schools. Perhaps it was the first novel of this type? I don't know. Reading it now, it was just meh.

update: 10/2/26 I came across this article and thought I would add it here. The article expresses a much fonder view of the novel that I hold.