# What to read after The Catcher in the Rye - (Book Recommendation) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 5, 2006, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-after-the-catcher-in-the-rye-book-recommendation/367465 "2006-08-05T16:03:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MessyPaint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@MessyPaint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MessyPaint)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-after-the-catcher-in-the-rye-book-recommendation/367465/1 "2006-08-05T16:03:48Z")
So this was my first time reading The Catcher in the Rye and I was really grabbed by it; I went straight through it in 8 hours. I just browsed the bookstore yesterday looking for some new friends and everyone I picked up just made me want to go back to Holden and the old gang, ya know… But obviously we must move on. I’m going to leave in a couple of hours and I’d love to take your suggestions with me. I’m looking for another strong literary book with highly memorable characters which are going to make me want to cry at some point… I’d like them to be along the lines of the major works, ya know, the greatest literature of all time… Also, if you have any weblinks which might better suit my quest, please don’t hesitate to provide them. Thank you for your time and toleration of this thread. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-after-the-catcher-in-the-rye-book-recommendation/367465/2 "2006-08-05T16:04:55Z")
I think the normal course of action after reading _Catcher In The Rye_ is to become a serial killer. Your middle name isn’t Wayne, is it? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MessyPaint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@MessyPaint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MessyPaint)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-after-the-catcher-in-the-rye-book-recommendation/367465/3 "2006-08-05T16:08:32Z")
That guy is a real bummer. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-after-the-catcher-in-the-rye-book-recommendation/367465/4 "2006-08-05T16:13:41Z")
Which guy? (The book always reminds me that some serial killers seem to have had a fascination with the book, and there seems to be an inordinate number of murderers whose middle name is Wayne. I wasn’t thinking of anyone in particular.) ---
**Author:** ![MessyPaint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@MessyPaint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MessyPaint)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-after-the-catcher-in-the-rye-book-recommendation/367465/5 "2006-08-05T16:27:32Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] Which guy? (The book always reminds me that some serial killers seem to have had a fascination with the book, and there seems to be an inordinate number of murderers whose middle name is Wayne. I wasn’t thinking of anyone in particular.) [/QUOTE] Oh, I thought he might have been the guy that sort of road bumped Mr. Lennon’s life. ---
**Author:** ![MessyPaint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@MessyPaint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MessyPaint)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-after-the-catcher-in-the-rye-book-recommendation/367465/6 "2006-08-05T16:30:53Z")
I wonder why that is anyway, I think the serial killers are embarrassingly misinterpreting Holden’s character…he didn’t seem to _want_ to be that way or even find any value in it, but maybe that is why the author sort of left that up in the air at the end…however you would like to see it ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-after-the-catcher-in-the-rye-book-recommendation/367465/7 "2006-08-05T16:37:51Z")
I read Catch 22 at about the same time, and it probably appeals to people who like Catcher. ---
**Author:** ![MessyPaint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@MessyPaint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MessyPaint)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-after-the-catcher-in-the-rye-book-recommendation/367465/8 "2006-08-05T16:41:25Z")
[QUOTE=ultrafilter] I read Catch 22 at about the same time, and it probably appeals to people who like Catcher. [/QUOTE] Thanks, I was considering this one, I will take a much closer look today. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-after-the-catcher-in-the-rye-book-recommendation/367465/9 "2006-08-05T17:08:04Z")
What about the rest of Salinger’s works? _Catcher_ is my least favorite of his stuff; I much prefer the stories of the Glass family to creepy Holden and company. Or pick up anything by John Irving (with the possible exception of _Setting Free the Bears_, which was, well, a bear to plow through, and the only of his works I never reread. Try _The Water-Method Man_ maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Alistair\_McCello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58956e/32.png) [@Alistair\_McCello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alistair_McCello)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-after-the-catcher-in-the-rye-book-recommendation/367465/10 "2006-08-05T18:41:00Z")
I second the suggestion for more of Salinger’s work. I would specifically suggest finding a copy of his collection of short stories _Nine Stories_ which includes my favorite of his, _For Esme - with Love and Squalor_. But as for non-Salinger books that have similar characters (i.e. highly philosophical characters who are hypocritical and can’t seem to figure themselves out.) I would say you couldn’t go wrong reading Fyodor Dostoevsky’s _Notes from the Underground_. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-after-the-catcher-in-the-rye-book-recommendation/367465/11 "2006-08-05T19:27:39Z")
[QUOTE=Alistair McCello] I second the suggestion for more of Salinger’s work. I would specifically suggest finding a copy of his collection of short stories _Nine Stories_ which includes my favorite of his, _For Esme - with Love and Squalor_. But as for non-Salinger books that have similar characters (i.e. highly philosophical characters who are hypocritical and can’t seem to figure themselves out.) I would say you couldn’t go wrong reading Fyodor Dostoevsky’s _Notes from the Underground_. [/QUOTE] That’s exactly what I came here to say! Nine Stories and Notes From Underground. Were we seperated at birth? ---
**Author:** ![Critical\_Mass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@Critical\_Mass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical_Mass)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-after-the-catcher-in-the-rye-book-recommendation/367465/12 "2006-08-05T20:07:52Z")
Only associated because they were both required reading in high school, but I found Grapes of Wrath a fantastic read. ---
**Author:** ![sleeepy2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@sleeepy2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeepy2)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-after-the-catcher-in-the-rye-book-recommendation/367465/13 "2006-08-06T00:35:58Z")
_A Tree Grows In Brooklyn_ and _How Green Was My Valley_. Two coming-of-age books I recommend to anyone who bothers to ask. ---
**Author:** ![Alistair\_McCello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58956e/32.png) [@Alistair\_McCello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alistair_McCello)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-after-the-catcher-in-the-rye-book-recommendation/367465/14 "2006-08-06T02:57:58Z")
> [@betenoir](#): > > That’s exactly what I came here to say! Nine Stories and Notes From Underground. Were we seperated at birth? It’s quite possible. The only other person I have met that enjoys Dostoevsky as much as myself is my elder brother so I have formulated a theory that appriciation of Russian literature is a rare genetic trait. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-after-the-catcher-in-the-rye-book-recommendation/367465/15 "2006-08-06T03:09:06Z")
Another vote for \*Nine Stories \* - some awesome stuff in there. I’m partial to _De Daumier-Smith’s Blue Period_, which left me feeling a little buzzed, as well as _Uncle Wiggly In Connecticut_, for deeply personal reasons. Another one of Salinger’s works is the book \*Raise High The Roofbeam, Carpenters \* \*and Seymour: An Introduction \* (one book, two stories). RHTRC is one of my very favourites. Buddy Glass is my favourite of the whole family. Though Zooey is quite a character, too. And BooBoo… and… ah hell. All of them. Every one. Seymour himself, the curse and the blessing… damn. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-after-the-catcher-in-the-rye-book-recommendation/367465/16 "2006-08-06T04:15:24Z")
Sylvia Plath’s “The Bell Jar” is a favorite of mine and could possibly fit your needs. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-after-the-catcher-in-the-rye-book-recommendation/367465/17 "2006-08-06T04:24:23Z")
Let’s see, 1950s novel about a nonconformist at the dawn of the Rock ‘n’ Roll era-- **On the Road** is the logical follow-up. ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-after-the-catcher-in-the-rye-book-recommendation/367465/18 "2006-08-06T04:40:07Z")
Dave Eggers’ _You Shall Know Our Velocity_ reminded me of _Catcher_ at times. I absolutely love Eggers; he’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but definitely worth checking out IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Operation\_Ripper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-after-the-catcher-in-the-rye-book-recommendation/367465/19 "2006-08-06T11:17:05Z")
[Franny and Zooey](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franny_and_Zooey), am always surprised JDS is still alive. WTHeck has he been doing since '65? ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-after-the-catcher-in-the-rye-book-recommendation/367465/20 "2006-08-06T11:58:18Z")
[QUOTE=MessyPaint] I’m looking for another strong literary book with highly memorable characters which are going to make me want to cry at some point… I’d like them to be along the lines of the major works, ya know, the greatest literature of all time… [/QUOTE] ‘To kill a mockingbird’ satisfies all your points, especially the crying bit. And you can watch the film afterwards! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-after-the-catcher-in-the-rye-book-recommendation/367465.md?page=2)