I finished reading The Catcher in the Rye last week. It was really really good. I never got to read it in high school because my junior year English teacher was too preoccupied with her personal life (no kidding . . . she was getting a messy divorce). It was too bad because she was an awesome teacher, from whom I learned a lot about literature and writing (some things I still remember to this day).

Back to The Catcher in the Rye . . . I think I might have enjoyed it more in high school, though. I think I could have identified with Holden at that time in my life. I probably could have gotten more out of it too had we actually read it in class. There is a certain level of analysis of literature that you only get in classes and when you discuss books with other people. I sometimes have a tendency to go through books way too fast when I’m just reading them for my own enjoyment, which sometimes means that I totally miss symbolism and other literary devices.