Reading the Same Book Every Year

“The Catcher in the Rye” is my favorite book. I read it every year in the wintertime, usually around Christmas. The first time I’ve read it was around 10 years ago as a part of compulsory reading in high school. I didn’t often read the books we’ve got assigned, but I’ve read the Catcher in the Rye and I’ll be forever grateful I did.

On the surface the book is about a very relatable guy called Holden that is becoming adult and is trying to (or trying not to) deal with it. Going a bit deeper, you can notice his disillusionment with the world and almost hatred towards the “casual” things that people do. He calls everyone a phony, finds most people and activities boring, and overall highlights the bad characteristics of almost everyone.

However, Holden is conflicted. He tries to find good in everyone and doesn’t want things to be all bad. He wants to have a little innocence in the world - ideally for everyone, but at least for the children; He wants them not to have to deal with the stuff he is dealing with (become adult) for a little longer, as described in the idea of his ideal job - catching children in the metaphorical rye field (and becoming like him).

I have always related strongly to Holden. The world is flawed, people are challenging, and adulthood is burdensome. But moving beyond generalising, I always conclude that not everything is as bleak as it seems.

The reason why I love to read the same book over and over is perhaps the best described by Holden when he visits The Museum of Natural History. He has this rant about how everything is exactly the same, except he is different.

“Nobody’d be different. The only thing that would be different would be you. Not that you’d be so much older or anything. It wouldn’t be that, exactly. You’d just be different, that’s all.”

I get this feeling every time while reading the book. The book is the same, yet I am different - one year I have graduated from college, another year I have switched jobs and moved, every time something changes. Reading the book, and especially at the end of the year, always reminds me and gives me some space to reflect on what has changed and how. What have I achieved in the past year, and where am I headed in the next? Whether it is something major, but more importantly, the minor stuff that is often overlooked, but very relevant.

I eagerly anticipate my next read.