It's like a really obnoxious catchphrase.

Read to Chapter 4. Still nothing major happening. Holden continues to be largely unlikable.
I have also decided that I strongly dislike aspects of the writing, especially the reuse of certain phrases. That is to say, I really hate the fact that Holden constantly uses the phrase "I really do" (or "he really does" or anything like that). It's one of those things where if he continues to reassure me that it's true, I believe him less. In fact, one could argue it makes him look like a phony, which, consequently, another word I want to throttle him for using.
To speak like Holden for a second, my thoughts on Catcher in the Rye : I think that this book is a phony. I really do.

First Impressions are the most lasting

So I'm beginning to read The Catcher in the Rye. My immediate impression thus far, having read about two and half chapters, is that it's not horrible, but I don't understand the big deal about it.
To be fair, my brother rallies against it as the worst book he has ever read and my mom more or less agrees with my view on it. My mom also talks about how if you ask any other English teacher about the book, they'll tell you it's the best book they've ever read. Personally, I find there's nothing really fantastic about it. There's nothing bad about it, but there's nothing good about it. I like how it's informal writing (formal writings fine for essays, but novels aren't essays--they don't have to be written like they're in college, writing a research paper.)
As the title of this entry suggests, first impressions are the most important. Unfortunately, Catcher's first impressions are less than fantastic. Holden is pretty quickly introduced as a bratty and mostly unlikable character who can't stay in school for the life of him. Frankly, the fact that this was considered something of a voice of a generation for some makes me wonder if the "good old days" were really, well, good.