# Is Catcher in the Rye the worst book ever written? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 9, 2005, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-catcher-in-the-rye-the-worst-book-ever-written/325461 "2005-10-09T23:55:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-catcher-in-the-rye-the-worst-book-ever-written/325461/41 "2005-10-10T12:04:51Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > **Measure for Measure** : The book is about being disconnected from your life, the world around you, and everyone who should care about you. In addition, it’s about rejection, especially rejection of the immaturity of adulthood, coupled with the inability to make good on that rejection. At the simplest level all of that means it’s a book about adolescence and growing up, but it’s really an introduction to existentialism for a country that never had any great experience with that philosophy. It’s also the closest anyone’s ever come to describing low-grade depression (not ADHD) in writing. > > (Of course, describing this novel as existentialist is absurd: Holden is incapable of responsibility and has abdicated his freedom. He is less a man staring down the empty void than a leaf blown by a careless breeze. Holden is what existentialism becomes if the individual is incapable of defining himself. > > Moreover, Holden’s rants against ‘phoniness’ are themselves phony. He is no more genuine than anyone else and the children he sees as the essence of truth are just as phony as he is. Holden is grasping towards an external reality which simply does not exist.) > > It’s great because art should resonate with you and describe some part of the human experience. If you’ve never experienced being utterly alone, this book won’t have anything to say to you and you might as well leave it alone unless you want to analyze it. If you have felt rootless and disconnected, however, this novel will resonate quite deeply and may even become anthemic. There is a reason both John Hinckley, Jr., and Mark David Chapman had a strong connection to this book. +1 - you are welcome to not like the book, but it was a big deal when published and incredibly influential on the lit and popular culture coming after it. I _think_ that the concept of a “teenager” - in the modern day sense of teens as we think of them today - really came of age in the 50’s, when they were recognized as a viable group that bought stuff and could be marketed to. At the same time they were getting their own identity as a market force, Catcher came along and documented how alienting it can feel to be a teen with no direction. And it did so in a voice that was obviously not a 50’s parent’s. So the fact that it captured that sense of teen disillusionment and self-centered meandering at a time when that group was really coming into its own was a big deal. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-catcher-in-the-rye-the-worst-book-ever-written/325461/42 "2005-10-10T12:06:39Z")
Most of it is hilarious, and I believe intentionally. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-catcher-in-the-rye-the-worst-book-ever-written/325461/43 "2005-10-10T12:30:18Z")
> [@sishoch](#): > > My vote for the worst book is _Hit Them Where it Hurts_, a cliche riddled text that unfortunately was all we had to listen to on a vacation trip many years ago. It read like the worst of Mickey Spillane with no suspense whatsoever. I don’t know who wrote it and I’m too lazy to look it up. > > [Hijack] > > Speaking of bad literature, has anyone read _Naked Came the Stranger_? I’ve often wondered how bad it was. It wasn’t bad at all. Much better than most of the “classics” they make you read in English lit, if only because it had a lot of sex scenes. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-catcher-in-the-rye-the-worst-book-ever-written/325461/44 "2005-10-10T12:53:30Z")
I liked _Catcher_. Phoebe is one of my favourite characters ever. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-catcher-in-the-rye-the-worst-book-ever-written/325461/45 "2005-10-10T13:07:15Z")
**Naked Came the Stranger** was a lot of fun, and had some of the funniest sex scenes ever. I read it knowing it was a hoax by a bunch of Newsweek writers, though, and I wonder how I would have reacted if I’d really believed it was written by a desperate housewife named Penelope Ashe. As for **Catcher** , no, I never really got it either. I grew up in NY in the Seventies and compared to the day-to-day life of alienated teens then, being rich, getting to wander around the Park and having to meet a girl at the Plaza didn’t seem like a big problem. The subject of the little brother’s death was totally glossed over. ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-catcher-in-the-rye-the-worst-book-ever-written/325461/46 "2005-10-10T13:39:34Z")
> [@Wolfian](#): > > Interesting. I have never heard that theory before (Holden=Seymour). I’m not quite buying it yet though. I read once that Salinger regretted killing off his best character in his first story and spent the rest of his writings trying to… er… apologize/ bring him back. I can’t remember it completely. Anyway the fact is Seymour pops up in a couple other Salinger pieces so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in _Catcher_. I’m just not seeing Holden as Seymour though. Could you sell me on it? in a rush so I can’t do this post justice, but Seymour Glass (see more glass), as described in _Bananafish_ is quite transparent, and from the other books we see that he is jaded and affected by the ills of society. He (and what has rubbed off on his siblings - see _Franny and Zooey_) loathes formalities and titles, challenges authority and normative behavior, etc. If you look at Salinger’s [Uncollected Writings](http://www.freeweb.hu/tchl/salinger/) (which I have not read in years) you will see various treatments of the sentiments and characteristics that are displayed by both Holden and Seymour… ---
**Author:** ![sleeepy2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@sleeepy2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeepy2)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-catcher-in-the-rye-the-worst-book-ever-written/325461/47 "2005-10-10T13:58:07Z")
> [@cerberus](#): > > L. Ron. Hubbard. Worst. Author. Ever. > > I’d lay odds that LRH’s dreck is even worse than anything written by any hack cast member of Star Trek, including Shatner. I guess I’m th only one who liked Battlefield Earth. I read it a long time ago, but I remember it being fun, cheesy '50’s sci-fi pulp. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-catcher-in-the-rye-the-worst-book-ever-written/325461/48 "2005-10-10T13:59:27Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > I got two words for the OP: Silas and Marner. > > I thought Catcher was absolutely fantastic, but I read it when I was 17. I don’t know if I would enjoy it as much today. I was gonna go _Mill on the Floss_, but you’re probably right about _Silas_. Either way, the OP should read some George Eliot to get an idea about blow-your-brains-out bad lit. Happy ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-catcher-in-the-rye-the-worst-book-ever-written/325461/49 "2005-10-10T14:14:27Z")
> [@FilmGeek](#): > > I must have developed my tastes all at the same time as my top four favorite books are _Catcher in the Rye_, _1984_, _Brave New World_ and _Cat’s Cradle_. I read them all in one year. > > I read voraciously, but those four stick out as my favorites. Of course, I’m a sucker for dystopian society stories of any kind. I could’ve easily written this post. I shudder at the mere mention of Danielle Steele, V.C. Andrews, & Dan Brown in the same thread as Salinger. Even taking in consideration the context. They are not “authors”, they do not “write.” They merely take a big steaming dump on paper and pass it off as literature. I know many of you will say “that’s just your opinion, Chao.” Well, be that as it may. COME ON!! I, for one, loved Salinger. I can understand not enjoying his works but he definitely was a grand author. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-catcher-in-the-rye-the-worst-book-ever-written/325461/50 "2005-10-10T14:20:16Z")
> [@sleeepy2](#): > > I guess I’m th only one who liked Battlefield Earth. I read it a long time ago, but I remember it being fun, cheesy '50’s sci-fi pulp. Battlefield was okay but he wrote another, thankfully forgetable series of a dozen awful books. (Mission Earth Series) Another set of unbelievely bad books is the old Perry Rhodan series. This is aboslute Dreck, I picked up 100 books for $5. I paid too much. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-catcher-in-the-rye-the-worst-book-ever-written/325461/51 "2005-10-10T14:31:01Z")
> [@GrahamWellington](#): > > I read it a long time ago just because I heard people I respected say it was their favorite book. But it sure seemed stupid to me You’ve never read [The Eye of Argon](http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/SF-Archives/Misc/eyeargon.html), have you? And I’ll echo what others have said about LRH. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-catcher-in-the-rye-the-worst-book-ever-written/325461/52 "2005-10-10T14:41:25Z")
The ad is for Mess catcher–whatever that is… I read and LOVED CitR when I was a teen. I reread it for a book group a few years ago and was quite impatient with Holden. But I also felt sorry for him. I think this is a book that needs to be read at a certain time in life-not neccessarily adolescence, but a time when you are questioning the future (your future) and are somewhat lonely. yikes–I might have to read this again right before I go into the nursing home… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![flamingbananas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f4b2a3/32.png) [@flamingbananas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flamingbananas)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-catcher-in-the-rye-the-worst-book-ever-written/325461/53 "2005-10-10T14:50:39Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > I think this is a book that needs to be read at a certain time in life-not neccessarily adolescence, but a time when you are questioning the future (your future) and are somewhat lonely. I think that’s it. Gotta connect to Holden for you to actually enjoy the book. It’s one of my favorites. Now, worst book ever written? _Dandelion Wine_ _shudder_ ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-catcher-in-the-rye-the-worst-book-ever-written/325461/54 "2005-10-10T14:51:33Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > The ad is for Mess catcher–whatever that is… > I read and LOVED CitR when I was a teen. I reread it for a book group a few years ago and was quite impatient with Holden. But I also felt sorry for him. > > I think this is a book that needs to be read at a certain time in life-not neccessarily adolescence, but a time when you are questioning the future (your future) and are somewhat lonely. > 😉 This is exactly it. It’s a funny little book and, from my experience, one from canonical high school literature that seems to produce the widest range of impassioned opinions. Men seem to far prefer it to women; people who have come across this book during their early teens seem to prefer it to those who read it later. Most people either love it or loathe it. It really is a book that has to hit you in the right place at the right time. Personally, I love it. I think it’s a fantastic piece of literature and the literary voice of the main character is one of the most original and memorable. The only other charcter in modern American literature that has left such an indelible impression on me is Ignatius J. Reilly from _Confederacy of Dunces_. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-catcher-in-the-rye-the-worst-book-ever-written/325461/55 "2005-10-10T14:58:53Z")
> [@jrfranchi](#): > > (Mission Earth Series) Before I knew what ElRon was all about, I bought and read this series. It had some interesting concepts (the implants used to spy on one of the characters), but otherwise it was a bit drawn out and even silly at times. There was some speculation that he didn’t actually write any of the books, just the outlines. After I found about Xenu and company, I took the books (all hardcovers!) and destroyed them. That’s the only time I’d ever done that. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-catcher-in-the-rye-the-worst-book-ever-written/325461/56 "2005-10-10T15:05:12Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Before I knew what ElRon was all about, I bought and read this series. It had some interesting concepts (the implants used to spy on one of the characters), but otherwise it was a bit drawn out and even silly at times. There was some speculation that he didn’t actually write any of the books, just the outlines. > > After I found about Xenu and company, I took the books (all hardcovers!) and destroyed them. That’s the only time I’d ever done that. Ooh! Was it a book-burining? A good ol’ fashioned religious pile-'em-up-and torch-'em kind of event? (Granted most of these involve the religious folk burning the secular books, not the other way around, but…) Considering the books involved, that sounds like fun! Happy ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-catcher-in-the-rye-the-worst-book-ever-written/325461/57 "2005-10-10T15:14:28Z")
> [@Happy Lendervedder](#): > > Ooh! Was it a book-burining? A good ol’ fashioned religious pile-'em-up-and torch-'em kind of event? (Granted most of these involve the religious folk burning the secular books, not the other way around, but…) Considering the books involved, that sounds like fun! > Happy Nah. Just a lot of ripping. The covers made a nice sound as I ripped them in half, though. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-catcher-in-the-rye-the-worst-book-ever-written/325461/58 "2005-10-10T15:21:34Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Nah. Just a lot of ripping. The covers made a nice sound as I ripped them in half, though. Strange, I think these are the only books I have ever thrown out that weren’t damaged beyond hope. But not for any political/religious stance. They were really that bad. I still have those horrible Perry Rhodan books, of course they’re in the basement but I still have them. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-catcher-in-the-rye-the-worst-book-ever-written/325461/59 "2005-10-10T15:25:44Z")
> [@jrfranchi](#): > > Strange, I think these are the only books I have ever thrown out that weren’t damaged beyond hope. But not for any political/religious stance. They were really that bad. I still have those horrible Perry Rhodan books, of course they’re in the basement but I still have them. It was more out of disgust. I felt digusted with myself knowing I had helped that whackjob support his lunatic “belief system”. It didn’t matter that I didn’t know at the time I bought and read them. I knew he had written Dianetics, but I didn’t know what that was about. Only that is was a series of annoying commercials. ---
**Author:** ![Stonebow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Stonebow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stonebow)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-catcher-in-the-rye-the-worst-book-ever-written/325461/60 "2005-10-10T15:29:14Z")
Had to read it in prep school. Given that I was surrounded by rich, white, self absorbed dumbasses, it was hardly illuminating. Not the worst book, but easily one of the worst ‘masterpieces’ I’ve had to read. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-catcher-in-the-rye-the-worst-book-ever-written/325461.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-catcher-in-the-rye-the-worst-book-ever-written/325461.md?page=4)