Holden at 20

I missed reading books. So I got myself a treat yesterday by going to the bookstore and getting me a new book. Actually it ain't new at all, its a classic. "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger. It had been recommended to me numerous times already. I was really curious why.
It took me less than a day to read...and PHEW...what a boring book. Atleast that's what I thought at first. I mean, I hated the way the character, Holden Caulfield, kept repeating what he said. But after getting used to it midway thru the book, everything got more interesting.
Its really a book about what goes on in the head of Holden, a 1st class fuck-up. After being axed from his third school, he suddenly goes into a phase wherein he had to go soul searching. Well there wasn't much of a search rather than clearing his head up from what troubled him.
I was surprised with the similarity of what goes on in his life with mine. Depression really gets the best out of you. With each trouble he comes face-to-face with, he runs away from it as this was his solution of problems. Somehow he never likes anything at all, and he tries to find the fault in everything and everyone just to justify his acts. Calling everyone a phony and all. That's all me! Do I just love escaping the 'real world'...
What I loved about his personality was how caring he was with his brothers, one of them specially--Allie, who passed away at the age thirteen. It was also very touching the closeness he had with his younger sister, Phoebe Caulfield.
Phoebe is my favorite character in the book. She's such an adorable angel. Very innocent and smart. She's the baby sister I never had!:D I don't know why, but I know three Phoebe's...of course only one in real person, and the other two characters from a tv sitcom and a book. But all seem so bubbly and cheery. Maybe I'd be calling my future-daughter by that name. Its such a "fun" one. Unlike the name Holden...too boring.
Here's a line I loved from the book. It came as an advice from Holden's former teacher Mr. Antolini. "The mark of an immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one." This he claims, came from a psycho-analyst named Wilhelm Stekel.
As I read the book, I was amazed at how it almost resembled my life and thoughts. Well, I guess some books are just meant to be written for certain people. And this one surely was meant for me. In fact, I am beginning to love the book (its the kind that you'd love after reading and not while reading!), I bought a movie just because it was about a man who became obsessed with it. I think the movie is about John Lennon's killer, I don't know coz I haven't seen it yet. It stars Jared Leto and Lindsay Lohan entitled Chapter 27. FYI, the book has 26 chapters!:D

Speaking of movies, books, and obsession, I saw a movie yesterday that embodies those three. Starring Jim Carrey, entitled The Number 23. This movie I highly recommend to the fans of the actor, to those with obsession with numbers ( such as SHARI and her 11:11!), but definitely not to movie critics. Its a psycho-thriller about a guy who became obsessed with the number 23 after reading about a book that was similar with his life. Very freaky. Heads-Up to Jim Carrey's acting and the writers and director's creativity. Love it!