Detouring from my usually non-fiction diet, this week I read The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. Reading with the knowledge of its status as a literary classic I was not as intrigued by the plot as much as I had hoped and despite being entertained by Holden's witticisms and darn gorgeous humour, I struggled to merit an esteemed value of his character. However these impressions were changed within the latter chapters of the novel as different voices entered which often conflicted with and contested that of the protagonist, making me appreciate the overall complexity of the perspective which Salinger offers through the book as a whole. By the end, I found what I had initially interpreted as subjective 1st person rant to actually be an experience necessary for the insights of the final few chapters to hold gravity with the reader. Overall, I admire Holden for having such a formed understanding of the world, however more so I admire the innocence of Phoebe and the wisdom of Mr Antolini for changing it.
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