J.D. Salinger died last month. His last original published work was in 1965; he gave his last interview in 1980. He was a relative recluse.
Salinger published "The Catcher in the Rye" in 1951. I first read it sometime between 1992-1996. I can't remember when or why I first read it, but I remember being blown away by it.
So, I decided to read it again when I heard of Salinger's death.
I am once again amazed. It sounds so modern. Holden's attitudes and thoughts are just as relative today in 2010 as they were shocking in 1951. Page after page of brilliant hilarity. I hear myself laughing out loud. Don't get me wrong, Holden is still a mess. He is still tired of all the "phoniness" that surrounds him. He is still depressed and trying to find his way in the world. Typical teenage angst.
It's one of those books that is just packed full of great quotes. One in particular that I have always remembered: "I'd never yell 'Good luck' at anybody. It sounds terrible when you think about it.
