# Explain "The Catcher in the Rye" to me **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 15, 2004, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-catcher-in-the-rye-to-me/224547 "2004-01-15T05:53:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ProjectOmega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b487fb/32.png) [@ProjectOmega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ProjectOmega)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-catcher-in-the-rye-to-me/224547/1 "2004-01-15T05:53:06Z")
Pessimistic kid with a rebellious streak swears and drinks and explains how he hates everything for about 200 pages, then the book ends with him dancing with his sister. Ok, what am I missing? How did this book get to be such a cultural icon? ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-catcher-in-the-rye-to-me/224547/2 "2004-01-15T06:19:01Z")
Dangerously on-the-edge kid full of bitterness, ironic cynicism, and self-destruction finds redemption in his sister’s love. She was his catcher in the rye. She kept him from flying off the edge. ---
**Author:** ![ProjectOmega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b487fb/32.png) [@ProjectOmega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ProjectOmega)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-catcher-in-the-rye-to-me/224547/3 "2004-01-15T06:27:15Z")
Maybe it’s just the book’s age, but I didn’t find Holden to be remarkably angsty or on-the-edge. In fact, he’s probably more level-headed than a good chunk of today’s teenagers. ---
**Author:** ![Super\_Gnat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Super\_Gnat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Gnat)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-catcher-in-the-rye-to-me/224547/4 "2004-01-15T06:58:19Z")
Well, no one had ever written a book like that before. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-catcher-in-the-rye-to-me/224547/5 "2004-01-15T07:01:13Z")
Oh, he was edgy in that he was almost completely disillusioned. He was one bad day away from “why bother” suicide, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Rainbowthief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4bbf92/32.png) [@Rainbowthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rainbowthief)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-catcher-in-the-rye-to-me/224547/6 "2004-01-15T07:01:22Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > Dangerously on-the-edge kid full of bitterness, ironic cynicism, and self-destruction finds redemption in his sister’s love. She was his catcher in the rye. She kept him from flying off the edge. That’s a beautiful way to sum up the book, just perfect! ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-catcher-in-the-rye-to-me/224547/7 "2004-01-15T07:06:03Z")
> [@Rainbowthief](#): > > That’s a beautiful way to sum up the book, just perfect! I agree, bravo. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-catcher-in-the-rye-to-me/224547/8 "2004-01-15T11:20:15Z")
> [@Rainbowthief](#): > > That’s a beautiful way to sum up the book, just perfect! Nice, but I prefered **ProjectOmega** ’s actually. Never understood what makes this book so notable. If I wanted to hear moody teenage angst a radio station would do it in a much shorter time with maybe a pleasant tune to make it palatable. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-catcher-in-the-rye-to-me/224547/9 "2004-01-15T15:00:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, no one had ever written a book like that before. I think **Super Gnat** got it.