The Catcher in the Rye // J. D. Salinger
This was when I realised I had to read ‘proper’ books if I was going to study English at A-Levels and then Uni. The Catcher in the Rye is currently one of the books I go to when someone academic and important asks me what my favourite book is, in fear of not sounding well-read; but it is certainly one of my favourite books. Whilst I don’t suggest my life is in any way like Holden Caulfield’s, it’s often easy to relate to his first person narrative and it is in some ways quite similar to how I imagine I would narrate my day-to-day life, were I to do such a thing. The lens through which we view his world is one of witty sarcasm and poignant critique of the ‘phonies’ that surround him, which is both endearing and at times laugh out loud funny.