I have no intention of blogging today but when I saw "Catcher in the Rye" in the number 1 list from Yahoo's most searched topics and found out that its author J.D. Salinger died at 91 due to natural causes it disheartened me as a fan and deeply moved to at least in my little way pay tribute to one of the best author of all times and one of my favorite authors as well. His novel Catcher in the Rye is my most read book after all.
J.D. Salinger is one of best-selling authors of all time with his best-selling book "The Catcher in the Rye" whose protagonist/antagonist Holden Caulfield had influenced a lot of people especially teenagers. It's impact had been tremendous, often times dark and full of angst but will nonetheless leave one in awe as well.
Personally, Catcher in the Rye is one of those books I've never tried writing a review 'cause I find it difficult to do so. The story seems simple yet different. Maybe it's in the way J.D. had written it. The story is about another ordinary teenage boy with teenage rebellion tendencies with an ordinary teenage inclination for strife. And a lot of authors had tried writing topics such as that but only J.D. has that much impact. Maybe because when he had written this book it was very timely. Or maybe because of the author's personality itself. During one of his interview when asked about his works, he said: "I love to write and I assure you I write regularly. There is a marvelous peace in not publishing. But I write for myself, for my own pleasure. And I want to be left alone to do it." - source
Mystery, that's what J.D. often leaves his readers with.
Like the mystery as to why his Catcher in the Rye book was linked to John Lennon and President Reagan's assassinations. Or his indignation to left his book left unadapted in movies. Or the mystery why he chose to live in isolation till his last breathe.
But he will always be remembered by book lovers like me.
One great author. A Mystery. A legend. Truly a classic.
R.I.P J.D Salinger.
4 comments:
I remember standing in a bookstore in SM Iloilo trying to choose between Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird. I think Ill buy Catcher soon. Then after that Lord of the Flies.
Those books you've mentioned can be depressing but they are really really good. Highly Recommended. After all, they'd not be called Classics for nothing.^_^
source of teen angst and cod of people now known as emos.
but it's true. there hasn't been a movie adaptation for this one. i made me think who of today's young actors could best portray our dear holden caulfield.
depressing. <--- the word i remember most about the book.
rip, jd.
honestly, i dont know whats so depressing about the books i mentioned. i havent read Catcher yet. Maybe that's why.\
"To Kill" was not depressing at all. And it was really, really good. A real coming of age book. It was like a combination of "Man in the Moon" that movie starring Reese Witherspoon who had a crush on an older guy who later on fell inlove with her older sister, and "A Time to Kill" with the theme of an Afro-American man on trial set with a background of a racist community.
And Lord of the Flies, well...it shows how easy civilized people can revert to their primal, brutal animalistic nature.
Leave a Comment