How old were you when you read Catcher?

Hi, all. I hope you liked the story about the ducks earlier today. A
couple of people replied privately about it. One person indicated
that if it were up to him, he would not hesitate to roast one of them.
(De gustibus non disputatum....)

I have a query and would love to hear an answer to this (either
privately or back to the list; your choice):

How old were you when you first read The Catcher in the Rye?

I'm soon going to see my brother's son, who just turned 14, for the
first time in a few years. I want to give him a book that made a
difference to me, and naturally Catcher occurs to me as a good choice.
It was a good choice for me ... but when I was that age, I was a crazy
kind of kid who read entirely too much, and I just don't know any
teenagers to make a comparison.

So, I'm curious about how old YOU were when you read it. And
wondering if YOU have given a copy to a teenager. If so, how old was
he or she?

I personally think that 14 is as good a time as any. I have no idea
(though I am trying to find out) what books he reads now, but I'm
willing to take a chance.

Also, I seem to have been about the only kid in America who wasn't
assigned the book in high school. At what point is Catcher typically
assigned as the dread Required Reading?

Cheers!

--tim o'connor
Received on Mon Dec 22 21:47:52 2003