Just in time for Banned Books week. I plan to read and release. Have never read this.

From the Publisher
Ever since it was first published in 1951, this novel has been the coming-of-age story against which all others are judged. Read and cherished by generations, the story of Holden Caulfield is truly one of America's literary treasures.

Banning History:
The Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger
PS3537.A426 C3 SSH Stacks

1960
A teacher was fired in Tulsa, Ok. for assigning the book to an eleventh grade English class.

1982
The book was removed from the school libraries in Morris, Manitoba, along with two other books because they violated a committee's guidelines covering "excess vulgar language, sexual scenes, things concerning moral issues, excessive violence, and anything dealing with the occult."

1989
The book was banned from the classrooms in Boron High School in California because it contains profanity.

1993
It was challenged as required reading at Corona-Norco Unified School District in California because it is "centered around negative activity," but the book was retained and teachers selected alternatives if students objected to Salinger's novel.

2000
Banned, but later reinstated after community protests at the Windsor Forest High School in Savannah, Ga. The controversy began in early 1999 when a parent complained about sex, violence, and profanity in the book that was part of an advanced placement English class.

2001
Removed by a Dorchester District 2 school board member in Summerville, South Carolina because it “is a filthy, filthy book.”

I admit it. I never read this before now. I had always heard it was a "classic coming of age tale." What I find disturbs me the most is that it has been challenged so much. Yes, I can see where the book may bother some people in language and content, but that doesn't mean it should be removed from shelves. Most disturbing is that the 2001 Dorchester County SC protest took place right near here. (The Charleston area is made up of 3 counties- Charleston, Dorchester and Berekley.) It made me leary of releasing the book in the wild here and that was what spawned the idea to offer it up as a RABCK. I don't want to think of it being thrown away because someone thinks it is "dirty" ( and then probably goes back home and watches Nip and Tuck, while their child is listening to Brittany Spears.)

Anyhow, I now whole courses have been taught about this, the angst, the symbolizm etc. I am glad I read it, but the whole time, kept being clouded by my desire as a health professional to get this poor boy some help. Poor Holden.

In my background research about the book, I learned that John Lennon's assassin, Mark Chapman, asked the former Beatle to sign a copy of the book earlier in the morning of the day that he murdered Lennon. It was still in Chapman's possession when he was arrested. As reviewer Brian Banks noted, "... the book itself contains nothing that could be attributed with leading Chapman to act as he did - it could have been any book that he was reading the day he decided to kill John Lennon - and as a result of the fact that it was The Catcher in the Rye, a book describing a nervous breakdown, media speculated widely about the possible connection. This gave the book even more notoriety."

This book is actually for acanthium32.

I hope that when she is done with it, she'll pass it along to those other folks over there who indicated an interest. I would really love it if it can get to Elsita in Portugal, who indicated an interest in the forum and has it on a wish list, but don't know if that is asking too much. Please see if it can travel that way though, because Elsita puts very pretty profile pictures up. Thanks!

When a body meets a body comin' through the rye....

RELEASE NOTES:

Heading off in a m-bag going across the pond to a special bookcrosser who is going to pass it along to another bookcrosser. Many thanks!

An Operation Netstation book that, shamefully, I'm only just getting round to journalling. This will go whizzing off to acanthium tomorrow, that way she'll have it before Christmas. Sorry for the delay.

Received this week in the post complete with a medal!

Looking forward to reading this as it is one of the BBC Big Read 100's, that I'm struggling to get through (there are too many other books I want to read too!)

Thanks to bookczuk and netstation for passing this on :o)

Totally new reading experience for me and rather hard to explain. I felt nothing. Absolutely nothing. All I thought when I'd finished was 'well, I've finished it'. I have never read any other book and not come away with *something* - likes, dislikes - emotions for goodness sake! I feel utterly cheated and am unsure whether this is my fault or the books fault. Huge apologies for having nothing even vaguely intelligent to add - I'm as puzzled as the rest of you!

Elsita has crossed it off her wishlist, so I will go hunting for a new home for it. Hopefully, the next person will have more success with it.

Off to akg who has this on her wish list. Hopefully her coursework and dissertation are all up to date and she can indulge in a book or two now!

Had some unscucessfully hunting in the rain in London today so it was great to come home to find a parcel especially for one that is on my wish list. Still working on my coursework, but it has to be finished this month so not much longer until I can read some books (I have a pile of rings building up on my bookshelf). In May I think I may be spending far too much time reading :o)

RELEASE NOTES:

I am currently on my honemoon in Canada and have released this book by the internet terminals on the 2nd floor in the Cascade plaza, Banff. I will add my review once I'm back home and not paying for access by the minute.

Just found my note book with my review of this book when I was on honeymoon and realised I never transferred it to the site. So here it is only a year and a half late!

All I can say that was good about this book was the ease of reading. Otherwise I can't think of anything that sells it. It consists of first person narratin by Holden Caulfied of three days of his life between skipping out on school and deceiding to go home. If you enjoy interpreting personalities then this book could be for you, but I just didn't like him. He is so negative about everything and everyone I found it difficult to finish the book.