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Title: Don't believe the hype
Review: I read Catcher in the Rye when i was in my early 20s and found it disappointing given the fact that English teachers and others had called it a "Classic." Perhaps we should all guard the term "Classic" more carefully.Yes, Salinger explores teen angst. Yes, Holden Caulfield has some universal connection because of the angst. Yes, he addresses phoniness in the world.But those things alone don't make a classic. One reviewer at this site mentioned the fact that there really is no plot, and she is right. If most of us knew Holden Caulfield and were subject to his ranting we would certainly dismiss him and not consider him a classic. I normally finish every book i read, but i got exaclty into the middle of he book and put it awaay for good.If Catcher in the Rye is a classic, then we've lost the ability to distinguish something that is truly classic, like say To Kill A Mockingbird", from a mediocre novel.
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