Dulce et utile

Well dear readers, people say that we need an amount of time to swallow a book, to assimilate it. I had enough time, I guess. Or maybe not… What I mean is… How can you assimilate a book as “The Catcher in the Rye”? It really “knocked me out” as Holden would say.  Not so very long ago, I have read another novel, “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury, and I have learned something that it will be useful for my final reflection.  

A book should content quality of information, at first. Next, it needs to be amusing. And the last but not least important, it must unleash actions based on what we learn from the interaction of the first two. Paraphrasing Horace in his Ars Poetica, it must be “dulce et utile,” both enjoyable and instructive.

Personally, I believe that each reader can take advantage of this book, in many ways. It contains lessons and perspectives of the world that are interesting. Moreover, to search in Holden’s mind and to know his internal urges is quite exciting. He’s a particular person and his words can freeze your blood more than once. The writer, Salinger, is a very influential guy.

Dulce, dulce. Again, more than once I have found myself completely inside the story, completely caught up.  The story takes you away like the flow of a river; easily one is following the plot and the characters. The narrative is catching and natural; for instance, Holden’s personality is elsewhere, his dialogs and thoughts are represent by the way he speaks, his idioms, his essence.

What else? I have found beautiful quotes all along the book.  For instance, “don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start losing everybody.” This one appears as the final thing that Holden advice to us…  Moreover, I felt identify with Holden, in many ways, actually. Surfing the web I discovered that Holden has the same personality as me (INFP according to the MBTI Type Indicator), and also the writer J. D. Salinger. For that reason, the book helped me to feel understood in many forms, and notice that there are things that do not pass only through my mind, but also other minds.

By the end, I feel that I will come back many times to “The Catcher in the Rye,” and now is in my personal list of favorite books. I would recommend it to everybody, not as merely entertaining but an experience, an introspective and fully trip to your wishes, fears, contradictions, falsehoods and hidden realities, adolescent’s disputes and much more.

Definitely, dulce et utile.

Until next time. 

Picture: http://bestwalle.mobi/holden-caulfield-hunting-hat-photos.html