Catcher in the Rye

I read the book in my teens and I loved it. The main character (it's written is in the 1st person) is not particularly likable, but there is some realism to his train of thought, the things he say/things that makes it feels very authentic and somehow relatable. Not sure if "relatable" is the right word as he's a school drop out and not a good student prone to get in trouble (so, the opposite of what I am/was) but I can see being friends with this character and listening to his stories and points of view... The main criticism is that the dude (I think he's 16 in the book) is self-centered, "all about himself", but what did they expect? I don't think the author ever meant his character to be any kind of "role model". Like I said, the character and his antics comes across as very authentic and believable...

It is an excellent piece of writing.

I get the feeling that many great works have a much different meaning for someone at age X than at age Y than at age Z and one of the big downsides is that Z age people read it, get something very big and important out of it and expect people of age Y or younger to get the same and make it a requirement.

all that said, I remember liking it. perhaps I should go back to it and see what new things I get out of it.

Probably.

It's a bit like the great Gatsby. There's a lot of meat to the book and the themes and characters and what it all means below the surface but it rings boring and hollow to a lot of us. To me both stories seem pretentious. They are too complex and nuanced to jump out and yell "Ask me what it means!" so we geniuses don't get it.

No less a wrier than Ernest Hemingway said Salinger was A "hell of a writer",which doesn't mean you'll like either Catcher or Hemingway.
But its a very readable book,one that can really affect ones emotions.
You could try it..or not!