Some of you may be pleased to know that I'm working on the thriller today having finished reading The Catcher in the Rye this morning. I didn't know anything about the book before I read it other than,

1) It had a cult following.
2) The bloke who killed John Lennon was reported to have had a copy of the book on him when he was arrested.
3) The bloke who tried to assassinate Reagan was supposedly obsessed with the book.
4) I think it's been mentioned in "Lost".

I read it, and as much as I don't take criticism too well myself (and who am I to comment on a modern classic), I just didn't get it. So I've done some research this morning on the basis I'd missed something (after all, I'd have probably thought Animal Farm was about some talking pigs if it wasn't for the fact I studied it at school) and from what I can tell, yes it is purely about a messed up teenager who's been booted out of school. I can't say I really ever got into the story. It's written in the style of a teenager (although it was published in the early 50's i think) but everything is "kinda" this and "sorta" that and "if you wanna know the truth". He basically hates everything, including himself at times but I never really knew when he was being serious or not. The story trundles on, he was going to ring someone and then couldn't be bothered, then he was going to go some place, but couldn't be bothered but I kept with it on the basis that if someone killed the inspiration behind the biggest boy band in the world and someone else attempted to assassinate the President of the United States because of the book, then something really profound must happen at some stage. It doesn't, but then Donnie Darko was supposedly a cult film everybody loved (about another messed up teenager) and I didn't really get that either - and this comes from a teenager who wrote crap depressing poetry until it came out of his ears.
Being a sucker for trivia as I am, I was however pleased to learn that the title is based on a misreading of a line in the song "Comin' Thro' the Rye," by Robert Burns. Furthermore, the lead character's surname is Caulfield. Apparently 'Caul' in Scottish, means 'Rye' ... Rye field.
Who am i to criticise? I just don't understand ... even thirty years after it was first published, it was the most banned book in the States. Still, don't let me put you off.