So, Yeah. J.D. Salinger, author of one of my favorite books, died a few days ago. I'm not a fan of his short stories, but "The Catcher in the Rye" was my favorite book for years and is still in the top two. And Holden Caulfield is still my favorite literary character (I've drawn him countless times and even made a little figurine of him). Which is an impressive feat, considering that Holden should be an unlikeable little snot-nosed shit. I mean, think about it: Holden is an upper-middle class kid who goes to an expensive boarding school that could get him into any college he wants. He's not an idiot, either. So, if he just tried, even just a little bit, he would be able to go so far in life. He has so much just handed to him and all he does is bitch about it. You want to hate him so much while you're reading it, but Salinger worked some kind of magic, because Holden is one of the most lovable characters in literary history. There's just something so... genuine about him.
I don't know if it's because I read it at a time in my life when I was feeling pretty much what Holden was feeling or what. But I do know that I will probably never stop loving it. And loving Holden. It's pretty much a part of my life now. And it's the book that gave me an enthusiasm for reading that I hadn't experienced since I was reading books with pictures in them.
"Catcher" is really a wonderful book. It doesn't have that kind of stuffy stuck-up feeling that a lot of classic literature does. It's not pretentious. It's just a tongue-in-cheek story about a kid who's overwhelmed by life and doesn't know what to do about it. Or, actually, knows what to do about it, but lacks the motivation to actually do it. That's something a lot if, if not most, people that age can relate to. As stupid as this sounds, (well, the whole post sounds stupid)I think it should be required reading for all adolescents.
So, anyways, here's a page from a graphic novel adaptation I've been working on for forever. Maybe I'll post more soon.
