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illu45  ·  2631 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Books you just couldn't fucking get into?

    I refuse to read Catcher in the Rye on principle at this point.

I think that enjoyment of Catcher in the Rye is somewhat specific to the age group (and maybe even generation) of the reader. It's often assigned in high school because many (though certainly not all) teenagers find that the text is able to explore anxieties and drives that they have themselves. As a result, it often comes up on lists of books you "have" to read or lists of books that "will change your life". As I got older, I found it hard to not see the protagonist as an entitled prick. It's been quite a few years since I've attempted to re-read it, though.