Caught in the Rye

Last night I finished reading The Catcher In The Rye.

I looked the book up on Amazon, curious to see what the reader reviews might contain. While they were overwhelmingly positive, there were a heap of one star ratings that derided the book for its language, lack of climax, immaturity, and other things.

I wondered why these people didn't enjoy the book as much as I did, and it struck me -- they didn't identify with Holden. And, a corollary to that, those that did enjoy the book must have identified with Holden. For if it weren't for his outlook on the world, the book truly would have been just a bunch of stuff that happened.

That makes me feel good. I'm cynical, and I've got company.