The Catcher in the Rye

I really do want to say I enjoyed this book. I really do want to.

But you know what? I can't.

This book basically revolves around a junior in high school, Pencey Prep to be specific, who detests just about anything. His name is Holden Caulfield. As it turns out, this book has to be read a certain way so that you won't feel like an idiot and end up doing what he does. Rather you have to read it so that you criticize this kid's views in a fashion that Gendo Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion criticizes his son, Shinji, with his cold gaze. However, at the same time, you have to be able to related with the troubles this kid goes through.

The book starts off at the END (yes, the end, it's obvious as he's telling you this after it happened and it's all in the past tense. Think of it as Final Fantasy X. Only nothing comes after the campfire story at Zanarkand event.) where he just tells the reader something along the lines of "Gah, I don't want to tell you about my boring life like when I was born I was super cute and a human hating monster but instead I'll tell you what happened last Christmas." And we, you (who might read this) and I, aren't even given a bloody chance to say "Oh, okay, cool, I'm going to go now." No. He just goes right into his little "Christmas incident" story which involves him. Running away from Pencey Prep boarding school. To go home. Along the way, he does all this stuff. Like get shot in the gut. And smoke. And drink. And pay for a prostitute and not know what to do with her. And drink again. And somehow rehabilitate himself thanks to his sister with nearly no background. And then get thrown into rehab. And then tell the story. All over again.

My other problem with this book is the amount of swearing. I mean, sure. You can't really go by an episode of Yu-Gi-Oh: The Abridged Series without some swearing, right? Now this book. Each of its chapters are like an episode of Yu-Gi-Oh: The Abridged Series. Only not very to the point half the time. That's beside the point, though. What I'm going to spoil for you (yes, this is the only thing worth spoiling about the book) is that you can't get past one page-- no, half a page-- no, not even a GODDAMN QUARTER OF THE PAGE without seeing "goddam." Goddam. Goddam everywhere. That's, like, the most used word in that book. I'm not going to kid you. Here's a list of words/phrases that I found most used in the book (besides the, a, an, and and):

1. goddam
2. damn
3. hell
4. "depressed as hell"
5. "that killed me"
6. phony
7. crap