*Why* do so many classes read The Catcher in the Rye? That's a book that a lot of people seem to find meaningful, so I have read it several times, trying to figure out what people like about it, but I have entirely missed not only why they think it is wonderful, but why anybody thinks it is good literature. Sigh. My best guess is that a lot of people feel deeply disaffected with life, and that the book speaks to that. Me personally, I like life, and find the book baffling.