Fans of Interracial Romance discussion

That Catcher in the Rye is the greatest book ever written? Sigh.

I don't know, I might be, LOL. But I am so tired of people acting weird when some folks say they didn't like or have never read Catcher in the Rye. I had to read it in high school and that's the only reason I read it. I wouldn't have otherwise. First off I don't like first person books, secondly I hated Holden Cauffield. I think he was arrogant and rude. While everyone else seems to love the "voice" of Salinger's writing for Holden, it only turned me off. I think Holden is the reason I don't like first person books to this day, because of the arrogance and how he was written.

Yeah but I wonder how did Catcher in the Rye become the so-called greatest American novel? I mean to me, it's just a book. And I don't even remember most of it. It wasn't interesting enough for me to read it twice. Yet so many people say it's the most wonderful book. Maybe it's just me and a few other people who think that way but I am sorry, I don't think Catcher is the greatest book and I don't believe Salinger was the greatest writer to ever live. He might have been good for folks who loved the book, but everybody doesn't have to like him, LOL.

Also, the man didn't ever write anything else did he? I know he wrote some short stories for The New Yorker and was a big recluse. Don't know much else about him but I don't remember him writing another novel. Am I wrong?

Anyway, just wanted to put this out there. Seems like every time someone's discussing great literature they bring up Catcher in the Rye and I just didn't find it as wonderful as most people say.

I prefer Lord of the Rings by William Holden. I loved that book. Gave me the creeps, LOL.

Anyway, any others agree? Anyone else know of books that they feel aren't that good but have gotten toted as great?

Best Wishes!

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

I think it was overrated, and very little seemed to get accomplished.

When I think of it, maybe it's a gender thing. Most of the folks I know who didn't like it are female. Some found it hard to relate to. For me I don't think that was the only reason. I just didn't like the story. If Holden had been a girl I'd still found her arrogant and rude. To me you have to be someone I like to follow you as a MC. I can't follow a book that tells the story of someone I can't stand. Holden was so judgmental, LOL. The arrogance turned me off big time.

Also, it's not that it's a classic. I love a lot of classics but not Catcher.

Was forced to read it in school nothing worth bragging about to me. Boring stuff.

LOL, Debbie. Me too. If I hadn't had to read it in high school I wouldn't have. My mom had to read it in college too.

Danielle, I couldn't agree more. Some folks act like literature arrived and died with this book! Please.

Best Wishes!

I believe that the greatest book ever written is a personal choice. Like art and anything else, most people look to critics and a lot people have no connection to a piece whatsoever, they just run out and proclaim it so to impress people around them. I never read it, but I know about it.

For its time (the 50s) this book was the coming trend along with the Beat generation. It was more popular among young people than the older because of its rebellious nature. It speaks to young white boys. However, for now, the book is terribly outdated since there have been numerous other books and movies which cover teen angst. I could see where it could still be popular among suburban rats, but after reading a synopses and reading quotes from it, it says nothing to me that I haven't already read. To me, "Tropic of Cancer" by Henry Miller and "On the Road" by Jack Keroac are far superior as far as rebelliousness and adventure. And the quotes offer nothing profound. As far as drinking, smoking and such, I've always loved the book "At Swim Two Birds" by Flann O'Brien written in the 1930s about a college kid who spends too many days in the pub and he's writing a book about a character writing a book. It's first person and hilarious, but you have to have a bent sense of humor to get into it.

I don't mind first person as long as it's good. Some first person books, I do find annoying because if there's no humility at all in the character, it can make them seem too arrogant with an almost god-like belief to their personality. I don't mind arrogance, but the book has to say something to me.

Literature is so full crap because they are always a generation behind in what they consider great. It takes them usually 20 years to get over their initial shock of a piece to declare, oh it's great. One has to think that if the book hadn't been banned, would it have even received enough attention to have been read so widely.

LOL. I've usually heard Moby Dick or Great Gatsby classed as the greatest American novels.

I loved Moby Dick! I read the Great Gatsby (had to for literature class) in high school and to be honest, don't remember it at all. I'd have to watch the movie to refresh my memory. But yeah, Moby Dick is one of my favorites.

Best Wishes!

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

You are not the only one. I personally find lots of the books that pass as classics to be terminably boring. I'm still on the first page of the Grapes of Wrath. I've been there for 20 years now.

I thought Grapes was so moving. :'(

I must say this too, even with some of the classics I've read before that I've enjoyed, I doubt I could get through ALL of those same books today. I bet I'd probably be bored by even the classics I like.

One of the main reasons is because I don't like literary fiction (but read it because I was forced to in school). I like genre fiction and I also don't like long books full of narrative and description and don't like first person books. My preference to genre novels has gotten even tighter so that's why I don't think I'd even enjoy a lot of the old classics I once did.

I've been looking through the classic free ebooks and I can't get through most now, LOL. Tried to read Madam Bovary a few months ago and couldn't get past six pages. I don't see what's so great about that book.

Best Wishes!

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

I'm not a big fan of literary fiction. It seems very pretentious most of the time. And usually, not much is accomplished. Mostly just character meanderings and a lot of depressing stuff when no big change comes out of it all. Just my opinion.

I prefer genre fiction, because you get a good story that's going somewhere, and character development, in the hands of a good writer.

I am downloading a lot of classic ebooks on my Kindle, but most in the genre categories. I would recommend Charlotte Bronte if you want a great classical writer. I also adore Crime and Punishment, The Scarlet Letter, To Kill a Mockingbird, and White Fang. These are some of my favorite classics. Also, The Good Earth, Song of Solomon, and The Color Purple.

Except for The Good Earth, Song of Solomon and Color Purple, I read all the others in school. I was a little girl when Color Purple (the movie) came out. I believe the book came out around the same time, didn't it? All I remember is a lot of people reading it. Anyway, I loved the movie but I couldn't get through the book when I tried to read it as a teen. Couldn't understand the dialect and I'm FROM the south, LOL.

My mom and her sisters read it but couldn't get through the dialect either. Mom said it took her half the book to understand what they were saying. She said she didn't like how the book had most of the African stuff in their with Neti because it wore down the book to her. She said it got boring with that part of her in Africa. The movie cut that part out.

I loved the movie. Maybe I'll give the book another chance but doubt I could still get through it.

Best Wishes!

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

I can't read a book to a movie.

Song of Solomon is very surreal and magical. I quite liked it. I highly recommend The Good Earth. It was one of those assigned reads that I totally fell into and loved. For some reason, I didn't have an issue with the dialect in The Color Purple.

Gotta love those free classics!

Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "I think it was overrated, and very little seemed to get accomplished."

Co-sign lol.

From what has been written so far I think a number of you here will enjoy Kathryn Stockett's The Help. Excellent book.

I have to co-sign on The Help. My favorite book of last year, hands down. Nuanced and wonderfully written.