Holden Lives On

Many of us have read "Catcher In The Rye" by J.D. Salinger.

Love it or hate it, the 1951 book has become an American classic. Did you read it in school? It's about a misunderstood teenager named Holden Caulfield. In real life, it was the book Mark David Chapman had in his pocket when he assassinated John Lennon, making "Catcher" all that more eerie. It was the only full length book Salinger published. School board and religious organizations objected to the book that was sprinkled with profanities, making it an odd choice for "required reading in high school.

There are some of us who relate to the main character in "Catcher" - Holden Caulfield.He's a confused character with the angst of James Dean and the mental innocence of Michael Jackson. Holden's perspective was that "everyone is a phony". As I recall, when Holden saw the "F" word written on a wall, it upset him so much that he wanted to become a type of "catcher" who rescued kids (in the rye) before they lost their innocence the the phoniness of the world.

Salinger, the author, became a recluse after the publication and barely spoke to press for 40 years. The mystery of the real man began. He declined all requests to talk about the book, the characters and rejected every offer to bring "Catcher" to film, even coming from Hollywood's most notable stars including Steven Spielberg and Leonardo Dicaprio.

Many people say the movie "Finding Forrester" starring Sean Connery is loosely based on the life of Mr. Salinger.

Me? Ya, I remember reading "Catcher" in Grade 11 and after all these years I still have it on my bookshelf.

J.D. Salinger died yesterday. But Holden lives on.