The Book That Predicted the Destruction of Society – Analyzing The Catcher In the Rye
'Observing Books" are comforting by overcome feelings of isolation
“It’s no measure of health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” —Krishnamurti
I was struck by the term “Observing books” and the idea that this novel captured problems that were present in the 1950s and which later developed into post-war America.
Observing Books
Observing Books can be comforting because they enable the observant reader to feel less isolated.
The 1950s contained all the seeds of the post-war problems.
It raise the issue of: Integrity, Sincerity vs Being Phony.
The Catcher In the Rye is one of the most divisive books in the American canon of literature. But maybe it's also one of the most important books of the 20th and 21st centuries.
QUESTIONS:
(Note: I haven’t actually read the book yet)
Do you feel like isolation with the dominant culture is a sign that you are well-adjusted and vice versa that the prominence of sociopaths and psycopaths is a sign of cultural dysfunction?
How can we bridge the divide between younger generations (Gen Z) and older generations that sympathize with their plight?
What are your thoughts on the 1950s, which have been idealized, but which the reviewer said contained all the seeds of the post-war problems?
REVIEWS:
Peter J. Seng's essay on the "Misinterpretation" of The Catcher in the Rye:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/373007?o...
Jennifer Schuessler's "Get a Life, Holden Caulfield" in The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/we...
1951 Review of the book:
https://www.startribune.com/july-29-1...