The Catcher in the Rye

Three questions asked during quizzes on this book, including one at Mood I in the tie-breaker which sent us out, was what it took for me to finally read it. Usually during my whirlwind trips to Nashik I ensure that I have a good book to read. And when I found 'TCITR'(as I would now call it) in the library & when I saw that it was only about 190 pages, I brought it home immediately. And it turned out to be a good decision after all.
At first I was worried that it might be of the serious literature kind - full of heavy stuff that bores you to death. But the first few lines really caught my attention & I decided to give it a try. TCITR is essentially the story of a young 17 year old who gets kicked out of school for the third time & this time decides to do something else in life rather than join another school. At first, the American english & the different (I'd say brilliant) narative style can get a bit difficult to digest. But as you move on you get used to it. The portrayal of the various characters is pretty good & so is the detail of Holden, the main protagonist's thoughts & ideas about the world. But whats best about the book is that it is totally unexpected. Almost the entire book is out of the blue - you really can't predict what will happen next. That's what makes it stand out from other books.
Also, the book has a very good & touching ending. You could say that over the entire course of the book nothing much happens. Well that's true but I believe the events in the books somehow set the stage for further events in the main protagonist's life. In a way, the book mirrors our own lives, how we strive to & often fail in realising what we really should do in our life. All we need is a slight push in the right direction, once we get that, the rest is easy.
All in all, the book makes for great reading. It has been said that ' Some books are to be tasted, others just taken in while some are to be digested thoroughly'. TCITR surely belongs to the last category.