The Catcher in the Rye

Rating:
Summary: A Brilliantly Unique Look at a Universal Problem
Review: In J.D. Salinger's brilliant coming-of-age novel, Holden Caulfield, a seventeen year old prep school adolescent relates his lonely, life-changing twenty-four hour stay in New York City as he experiences the phoniness of the adult world while attempting to deal with the death of his younger brother, an overwhelming compulsion to lie and troubling sexual experiences.

Salinger, whose characters are among the best and most developed in all of literature has captured the eternal angst of growing into adulthood in the person of Holden Caulfield. Anyone who has reached the age of sixteen will be able to identify with this unique and yet universal character, for Holden contains bits and pieces of all of us. It is for this very reason that The Catcher in the Rye has become one of the most beloved and enduring works in world literature.

As always, Salinger's writing is so brilliant, his characters so real, that he need not employ artifice of any kind. This is a study of the complex problems haunting all adolescents as they mature into adulthood and Salinger wisely chooses to keep his narrative and prose straightforward and simple.

This is not to say that The Catcher in the Rye is a straightforward and simple book. It is anything but. In it we are privy to Salinger's genius and originality in portraying universal problems in a unique manner. The Catcher in the Rye is a book that can be loved and understood on many different levels of comprehension and each reader who experiences it will come away with a fresh view of the world in which they live.

A work of true genius, images of a catcher in the rye are abundantly apparent throughout this book.

While analyzing the city raging about him, Holden's attention is captured by a child walking in the street "singing and humming." Realizing that the child is singing the familiar refrain, "If a body meet a body, comin' through the rye," Holden, himself, says that he feels "not so depressed."

The title's words, however, are more than just a pretty ditty that Holden happens to like. In the stroke of pure genius that is Salinger, himself, he wisely sums up the book's theme in its title.

When Holden, whose past has been traumatic, to say the least, is questioned by his younger sister, Phoebe, regarding what he would like to do when he gets older, Holden replies, "Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around--nobody big, I mean--except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff--I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going. I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be."

In this short bit of dialogue Salinger brilliantly exposes Holden's deepest desire and expounds the book's theme. Holden wishes to preserve something of childhood innocence that gets hopelessly lost as we grow into the crazy and phony world of adulthood.

The theme of lost innocence is deftly explored by Salinger throughout the book. Holden is appalled when he encounters profanity scrawled on the walls of Phoebe's school, a school that he envisions protecting and shielding children from the evils of society.

When Holden gives his red hunting cap to Phoebe to wear, he gives it to her as a shield, an emblem of the eternal love and protectiveness he feels for her.

Near the beginning of the book, Holden remembers a girl he once knew, Jane Gallagher, with whom he played checkers. Jane, he remembers, "wouldn't move any of her kings," and action Holden realizes to be a metaphor of her naivete. When Holden hears that his sexually experienced prep school roommate had a date with Jane, he immediately starts a fight with him, symbolically protecting Jane's innocence.

More sophisticated readers might question the reasons behind Holden's plight. While Holden's feelings are universal, this character does seem to be a rather extreme example. The catalyst for Holden's desires is no doubt the death of his younger brother, Allie, a bright and loving boy who died of leukemia at the age of thirteen. Holden still feels the sting of Allie's death acutely, as well as his own, albeit undeserved, guilt, in being able to do nothing to prevent Allie's suffering.

The only reminder Holden has of Allie's shining but all-too-short life, is Allie's baseball mitt which is covered with poems Allie read while standing in the outfield. In a particularly poignant moment, Holden tells us that this is the glove he would want to use to catch children when they fall from the cliff of innocence.

In an interesting, but trademark, Salinger twist, Holden distorts the Robert Burns poem that provides the book's title. Originally, it read, "If a body meet a body, comin' through the rye." Holden distorts the word "meet" into "catch." This is certainly not the first time Holden is guilty of distortion; indeed he is a master at it.

This distortion, however, shows us how much Allie's death has affected Holden and also how much he fears his own fall from innocence, the theme that threads its way throughout the whole of the book.

By this amazing book's end, we must reach the conclusion that there are times when we all need a "catcher in the rye." We are, indeed, blessed if we have one.

Rating:
Summary: A hard act to follow
Review: "Catcher in the Rye" portrayed the suffering and alienation of an otherwise privileged, middle-class young man long before such a theme became fashionable. So much of today's writing with comparable themes seems like a tepid imitation of the original.

Holden Caulfield is an utterly convincing character who is not reaching out from the pages and trying to grab our sympathy. Salinger should be commended for not endowing Caulfield with bathos and excessive sadness. Instead, he presents Caulfield's state of mind in a simple, lucid narrative. As a result, this novel is very effective in examining timeless questions about the nature of happiness and the conflict between the individual and society. There is also a compelling honesty in Salinger's writing that makes Caulfield so believable that I frequently forget he is a fictional character.

This book should be read by young people and adults alike. It should also be read by aspiring writers attempting to market their own tales of woe.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: This book completely captivated me from start to me. We were reading it as a class for about 4 weeks, but I read the book from start to finish the weekend I got it. Honestly, there were times in the book when Holden was taking words right out of my mouth. Every teen out there should read this masterpiece.

Rating:
Summary: awesome
Review: I think The Catcher in The Rye is one of the best books I have ever read. It is a must read for every young person.

The realist portrayal of a sensitive teenager's coming of age is almost unparalleled in the annals of literature. I could identify with a lot of situations the protagonist finds himself in and the sharp words with which he expresses hiumself reminds me of myself at that age!

"A Portrait of the artist as a young Man", "The Way of all Flesh", "Of Human Bondage" and "The Moon and Sixpence".....these are some of the books which, I believe, share the spirit of "The Catcher in The Rye"

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Summary: the truth about holden
Review: i have read thousnads of books. however, never have a read a worse book than Catcher in the Rye!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Summary: Enjoyable on Many Different Levels
Review: This timeless classic by J.D. Salinger follows teenager Holden Caulfield over about a three-day peroid, listening to his thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The recently-expelled Caulfield travels to New York where he waits to find the courage to tell his parents what has happened. While waiting, Holden's character is revealed as a seemingly careless youth who is truly lonely. The book is written with a wonderful flow that makes it easy for you to read cover to cover without stopping. As the book progress, Holden's antics endear the reader and make them look deeper into his character. This book was enjoyable on so many different levels.

When I first read this book, I was discouraged because it seemed to have no plot, no direction. As I re-read J.D. Salinger's words I understood that that was his meaning and found the book much more enjoyable. This book should top the "must read" lists for everyone to enjoy the protagonist and wonderful writing, detail, and flow.

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Summary: A Great Read for any Teen
Review: The Catcher in the Rye is a must read for any young teen. It tells the story of Holden Caulfield and a few adventuresome days in New York City following his expulsion from his school Pencey. Holden represents most teens today, pessamistic and a little insecure, but deep down inside Holden shows he has a heart as he expresses his love and care towards his sister Phoebe. This is a great read and leaves the reader only wishing that Salinger had published more of his works.

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Summary: great book
Review: this is truly a great book, i love the way the book is narrated, and its real easy to put yourself in Holden Caulfields perspective.

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Summary: catcher in the rye
Review: possibly the best book ever written. incredible symbolism and use of images. Recommended for preteens to adults.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best
Review: This is one of the most famous of all "Coming of age" novels. It's right up there with Twain's "Huck Finn," Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird," and McCRae's "Bark of the Dogwood." This is a totally awesome book and it's amazing to think that it was banned at one time! Great story told through the eyes of a teenager! This book rocks!