I was with a group of friends one evening, a group that I wasn’t particularly close to, but hung out with every now and then anyway. Somewhere along the line, The Catcher in the Rye was mentioned and before I got a chance to speak and say, “It’s one of my favorites!” a girl condescendingly interjected and said something along the lines of, “Terrible book.”

I bit my lip, wondering if it was even worth it for me to defend the novel. It’s never a good feeling to hear that something you love so dearly is being criticized.

The subject passed quickly. No one else in the group knew the book anyway, who was I to get all riled up and defend it and its glory?

All along though, I knew of the widespread divide in opinion that is often attached to The Catcher in the Rye. I’m not sure why that is. I like to think it’s because some people just don’t understand Holden the way others do. They’ve never been in that headspace.

Holden is a complicated character and a specific character. He is, indeed, written for specific people and can come across as whiney and annoying to others. At the end of the day, we as humans can also be whiney and annoying. There may be some readers who are too afraid to admit these flaws in themselves. Some see him as negative or perhaps ungrateful.

But he is sad, lonely, and depressed. And often times, when you are in this headspace, it can be difficult for others to understand you. Especially when they haven’t gone through the motions themselves.

So I forgave her (not really) in my mind. Because perhaps she just didn’t simply understand.

But the book isn’t a shelf favorite simply because of its emotional impact. One must also admire Salinger’s simplistic, efficient writing style. He’s not Hemingway, but I do appreciate an author that doesn’t mince words. Holden’s narration is a classic for good reason, serving as perhaps the original voice of troubled, emerging adulthood.

This is one of the only literary novels that I’ve read more than once, and I don’t even own a copy of it. I’ve thought about it, once or twice, my finger hovering over the purchase button on Amazon. But I always end up walking away.

I’ve realized that instead of owning Holden, I like to leave him to the wind. I check out the book from my local library whenever I feel like it, and it always feels like I’m re-visiting a friend.