Thursday, January 28, 2010

But Teenage Angst Lives On!



So J.D. Salinger died the other day - no news there, he was a very 'old coot'.

When I was in 8th grade of government school, the English teacher assigned one book to the rest of the class (can't remember what it was) and he pulled me aside and made me read The Catcher In The Rye. He pointedly said, "It's you."

Even after reading the book I was too young and too dumb to be offended. Plus I don't recall hardly anything from the book; except that the lead was some tall dude named Holden; and that the book was centered in NYC (I think). Whatever. And now I'm too wise to go back and re-read it for fear of discovering myself in whatever happened!

One of my friends, let's call her PhillyBroad, today she alerted me to a famous quote from that book, one that rightfully belongs in my *quote reserve*:

All morons hate it when you call them a moron.

Indeed!

I'm not sure if that's a straight Holden Caulfield quote or what. Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

The book was pretty controversial. I had no idea it got Lennon shot!

Maybe I should go back, re-read it, and find myself in it?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hah! You and me both, pal. Reminds me of a Non Sequitur comic from a couple of weeks ago, http://www.gocomics.com/nonsequitur/2010/01/17
-Rich

Anonymous said...

Actually, it wasn't 'Catcher in the Rye' that got Lennon murdered, it was the bible. Chapman is a religious crazy who was offended by Lennon's outspoken atheism. ('Imagine', for example.)

Killing in the name of god will never go out of style.

As for 'Catcher', it's more of a pop culture icon than anything. Bill Gates is famous for citing it as one of his "favorite" books. Translation:"I haven't read anything other than a technical manual since time was."

CaptiousNut said...

Rich,

That has biblical origins:

Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself - Proverbs 26:4

Anon,

I don't think any particular book can be blamed for, well, most deeds.

west coast tom. said...

One line I really like from Catcher is when Holden goes to visit one of his teachers and they guy is just out of it. Holden thinks "this guy doesn't know his ass from his elbow" - from there I was hooked.