The Catcher in the Rye

I could read this book a thousand times and never get tired of it. I really can't think of any other book that I can say the same thing about it. I was just entering college when I read Catcher in the Rye the first time. It took me only two nights to finish it. I thnk the reason I enjoyed it so much is I could really relate to the struggles of Holden Caufield, the protagonist. I went through all these same crazy emotions when I was still finding myself at that age. Now that I finally know what I am doing with my life, it's kind of like recapturing my youth every time I read this book. So, if you haven't read this book yet, please add it to your list. It should be on everyone's list.

Because this is one of the most heavily reviewed books on the store, I will not at this late date attempt to do a comprehensive review. I'll merely focus on one reason this is such an important book and then comment on one odd yet persistent misreading of the novel.

First, this is the first novel that was written with the narrative voice of a disgruntled youth. In fact, one of the most amazing developments in the 1950s was the birth of Youth. Before the fifties there was no sharp chasm dividing young and old. There were, of course, differences between being young and being older, but the main difference was mainly that you were merely younger, not that you embraced a completely different culture. CATCHER IN THE RYE anticipated everything that was about to happen in youth culture within the next few years. No novel had been written in slang before, at least not in youth slang. You would be a very rich man or woman if you could count the number of times that Holden says something like "I'm not kidding" or "I can't stand it." Salinger's genius for maintaining a consistent narrative voice from beginning to end is unquestionably one of the novel's greatest claims to fame.

The second thing I wanted to mention is the rather bizarre turn that so many people consier Holden Caulfield a hero. If anything is clear in the novel, it is that Holden is a profoundly troubled, disturbed, emotionally stunted and sick individual. The events he narrates are cleary done so in a mental health institution. For all his railing against phonies, no one in the book is as phony as Holden. To appropriate the language of existentialism, he lives a completely inauthentic life. But sadly the only person who calls him on the pathetic existence he is living is his teacher that Holden suspects of making sexual overtures near the end. But clearly the events in the novel presaged some kind of emotional collapse. Holden at age 17 in the mental institution writes about significant events leading up to his collapse at age 16. That anyone could view Holden as a role model or a hero is unfathomable.

I reread this because I'm about the read the Frank Portman novel KING DORK, in which CATCHER IN THE RYE features prominently. I had not read CATCHER since college, but I was pleased to discover that it was as excellent as I remembered it being. I wouldn't rate it as one of the greatest books that I've read, but it is unquestionably one of the most important American novels of the past century.

An insightful glimpse into the transitional adolescent perceptions of society during the “Jack Keroack/Beat Generation” period of the early 1950’s, just a mere few years prior the onslaught of Rock’n’ Roll music and the first baby steps of teenage imancipation and alienation from their adult "overseers”.

Catcher in the Rye is a masterpiece. This goes without saying. When this book was written, the first person narration from the point of view of a deeply troubled teenager was both unique and original. Since then, countless authors have copied this style and approach. I give this book three stars not because of the content. That alone would easily award Catcher in the Rye five stars from this reviewer. I give this copy of Catcher in the Rye three stars because the Kindle edition is so poorly formatted. This is mostly because of the table of contents. I was not able to skip to specific chapters, something that is important for me because I am an English teacher and I teach this book. The kindle edition is fine if you don't intend on using the table of contents, but it was not fine for me personally.

Not Recommended.

My favorite book ever because it makes you think from a different perspective to understand Holden. This story conveys a universal lesson: the world is full of phonies. After children grow up and lose their innocence, they lose their true character in public and seem fake. Assassination are linked to this book because the murderers want to get rid of the phonies of the world. Even with this background information, this book is still a must read. Holden wants to stop them from becoming phonies, not eliminate all of the phonies. It isn't about some teenager loose in New York doing random stuff, it's about a teenager who's grasping onto innocence and begging all the children to hold onto theirs.

You will either love this book or hate it. Holden Caulfield is an immature high school student that gets kicked out of his private prep school for the nteenth time. While he begins his journey in New York City, you see his character turn around. I read it in my high school english class and loved it. It was one of the first novels to showcase teenage rebellion, but underneath it all, you see Holden's desire to preserve childhood innocence. I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read.

Very good book and a timeless classic. If you enjoy reading you will enjoy this book. It's not a long read and, it keeps your attention. It reminds me a lot of my disillusioned teenage years. It's a classic for a reason and I would put it on your bucket list as one of the books everyone should read in their lifetime.

Singular short novel written from the standpoint of a teenager who was expelled from school and is wandering the streets of New York without his parents knowing. Wandering, he reminds people and moments of his life. Sometimes shocking, acid, sharp and touching, the child goes on with his thoughts in the 50's American atmosphere.

I had high expectations for this book, which always adds pressure to a reading experience. I found the novel appealing with angry ant Holden reminding me in some ways of myself during high school, but I must confess that I missed the key message of this story. The characters lacked visible face for me, and the timeline of two or three days was a contributing obstacle. The "up yours" attitude of Holden's towards authority is a feeling all reading can relate to in their own ways. But I am still unsure what I was supposed to feel or understand better by the conclusion of this book. A decent novel, but it didn't sizzle for me.

Nicholas R.W. Henning - Australian Author

Almost everyone I knew had to read this for English classes at some point in school, but it was never a part of my curriculum. I decided to visit the classic for myself and was a little disappointed... and I'm guessing it's because I expected more than what it is. The book is probably legendary because the way it's written you really believe that it's the main character speaking to you about what's going on. However, it's extremely repetitive because of this and can feel very slow at times. The story has quite a few interesting situations, especially considering the time period difference. I might have appreciated more as a teenager to be honest, but it is what it is. It's a quick read as well because the vocabulary/complexity are pretty low. There are a few old slang terms I didn't know but quickly learned from this book as well.

It was a beautiful written book even though it had more profanity than I like. I am sure it was for effect but then I am really no critic. The story was so good I can understand why it was required reading for young people several years ago. I made me think of my childhood and how different things were in the 30's and 40's.