You read stuff because it's supposed to be genius. And sometimes you don't get it at all. So you wonder what's wrong with you. If you're committed you try again

You read stuff because it's supposed to be genius. And sometimes you don't get it at all. So you wonder what's wrong with you. If you're committed you try again. And again. Until you get it and it's genuinely one of your favorites. That happened for me with Marquez and Pynchon. Still rereading Joyce and Proust. So yes you can't read just to say you've read, but you can start down that path just because you've heard you're supposed to. At least that's what my experience tells me. FWIW The Catcher in the Rye is meh out of perspective, but when you look at the American canon before vs after you can't help but notice the originality and the influence.