I'm a sophomore in high school, and I first read The Catcher in the Rye two years ago. I guess I'd like to think I could identify with Holden. It's hard to be a teenager, regardless of where you live or what kind of life you lead. Holden had a lot going for him, and he still felt exasperated. That's pretty comforting. As far as my classmates go, some perfectly valid people didn't like the book, and some people I don't really care for love it. It's funny. But it most certainly isn't fair to hate someone because they didn't like a book. Some people had very valid reasoning. Think about it. Who's the phoniest character in the book? Holden himself. He lies, and is pretty much all he hates in people personified. I guess that's just a pessimistic view. Hope I'm not shunned from the mailing list for bringing this up.... -Ellen