(Book Report) Catcher in the Rye

Though you may have read it when you were a kid, J.D. Salinger's book, the Catcher in the Rye, was originally published for adults in 1951...

But it became a draw for teenagers because of its main character's use of language and some of the book's teen-relatable topics and themes.

The novel appears on nearly every 'Top Books of All-Time' list one could find.

And for about 20 years, beginning in the 1960s, it was the most censored book in the United States.

It even has several prominent shootings associated with it, including the assassination of John Lennon and the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan - terrible things.

I finished reading it yesterday - I didn't read it as a kid.

However, I'm not sure I would've appreciated it as much had I read it back then.

Because if you focus on the surface pieces of the book, and transport yourself back to the 1950s, 60s, and so on, you may be able to see why it caused a stir, and how some may misguidedly use it as a calling card for deficient behavior.

But if you get beneath the surface (which is where art lives), you might see that the important themes the book deals with - how we cope with loss, establish our identity, connect with others - are still important today.