BookEnds

“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.”

— “The Catcher in the Rye”, opening line

Today kicks off our staff read (or re-read) of “The Catcher in the Rye”, in honor of J.D. Salinger. We will be blogging along the way and invite everyone to join in the discussion.

Personally, I plan on curling up with my high school copy of “Catcher” and a nice cup of tea, losing myself once again in the adventures of Holden Caulfield. This will be my third time reading the book: I first discovered Holden the summer I was 15, and returned to the novel again in my sophomore English class. I loved the book then, and I’m almost certain I’ll love it now, though viewing the words through a filter of several years may shift my perspective slightly. What I remember enjoying most was Holden Caulfield’s voice, clear and resonant, conversational and jaded, honest and original. Throughout my initial reading, I could almost hear him echoing in my head, mixing with my own thoughts. I think this helped me to identify with him, as though we were sharing ideas through the secret medium of the novel — and, as with many of my favorite characters, I couldn’t help wishing that he was real, like another member of my sophomore English class.

I’m looking forward to meeting Holden again.