The Catcher in the Rye

Rating:
Summary: critsizing reviews
Review: pardon me , but critisizing other's reviews is wrong it is their oppinion, and they are intitled just as much as you, so lay off. by the way this book was boring and depressing and made me want to take a nap.

Rating:
Summary: I've Already reviewed this novel, but I have more to say!
Review: I have just spent about 30 minutes reading through some of the reviews. Most people gave 'The Catcher in the Rye' 5 stars( Well done, all of you!) and as for the other's who give it only 1, then I seriously do not think they got the morale of the story.

One of the reviews (By David.P, or something). He said 'What is The Catcher'? In case you haven't noticed, it indicates Holden Caulfield, and how he refuses to grow up into the world of troubles and worries. He doesn't want other people to go the same way, so he wants to protect others from falling off the cliff. That is 'The Catcher in the Rye'

Moving on: If you read through the reviews on this extremely superb novel, you will see that 99% of the readers of The Catcher, have either rated it 5 stars....or 1 star. Hardly any rated it 2 stars..or 4 stars, merely 1 or 5. Doesn't that fascinate you? You go to other books: reviewers state 1, or 3, or maybe 5. It just shows how magical this book is. If has tremendous dialogue, and absolutely excellent background setting.

You either hate this book, or you either love this book, there is no other solution!

If any of you out there have rated this book 5 stars, then congratulations and well done on getting the basic morale of this novel THE BEST BOOK OF THE 20th CENTURY!

Rating:
Summary: Tragi-comic
Review: Hello everyone!

I missed out on reading "The Catcher in the Rye" when I was 15 which I understand is when most people tend to read it so at first I thought that the content would be primarily directed at a younger audience. However, my initial prejudices against the novel were completely unfounded as I found both the subject matter and the language employed by Salinger extremely effective and thought-provoking. I wasn't expecting the novel to dazzle me with new ideas about human psychology, and yet I have to admit once again that I was astounded by how affected I was by the protagonist's situation and his experiences. Of course, being written in the first person there is that intimacy which I feel never reaches the same level of intensity in novels written in the third person. I found myself immersed in the character, wanting to talk to him face to face as he himself says of authors he has read himself. Fascinating. I don't know what other people think but I felt the same sort of clarity in this novel as I have found in works by John Steinbeck. Perhaps it is a trait perfected by American authors of the twentieth century, I have too many novels yet to explore to say for certain, but it does strike me that the manner in which the author uses the dialect and slang to effectively bring his character to life is something which is rarely come across. A wonderful novel.

Please write to me to tell me your views even if you disagree!

Becky.

Rating:
Summary: It is a pleasure to read this book.
Review: It is a pleasure to read this book. Salinger has showed us a fine analysis of the problem with the adolescence and he was so genius to write this story in a style of young people. You read the first side and you can't stop reading it. Isabel Daum

Rating:
Summary: IT TASTES FINE!
Review: After reading a few pages of it i wished it were 500 pages.It has everything that a good novel should have.Salinger understands and narrates the young boy,Holden Caufield,better than any other writer might do.This is what makes his work a masterpiece.

Rating:
Summary: Enter Holden
Review: The Catcher in the Rye is undoubtedly one of the best books that I have ever read, and just in case if you are wondering, yes I am a teenager. It seems to me that the only audience that truly appreciates this magnificent piece is the high school kid. My reasoning behind this is because the story is basically an account of a teenage guy's eventful and emotional life - rather four days of it. The content of these four days in New York more than makes up for rather short time span of the novel. Holden Vitamin Caulfield, as he likes to call himself, is constantly being bombarded with psycological pressures. His overwhelming concern revolves around the existence of "phonies" as he so calls them, who limit the ideas of the adolescent and try to get in the way of Holden's voyage to another realm, free of corruption and media. Holden searches for a world devoid of the limits of his adolescent years. Holden never really does encounter any physical dangers in his journey to find himself, instead he feels threatened by the majority and contemporary mass cluture, which promote the loss of individuality, ancient accepted values, and intellectual awareness. A plot summary of The Catcher is a very tedious task indeed. The strucure of it could be associated with a patient's recollection of past events to psychiatrist. Even so, the actual plot is not the most important thing about this book. What is important are the characters and their philosophies. Many adults may criticize Holden and his rough language, but us teenagers wolud just flock to Holden if he were an actual person. Holden also carries with him his trusty red hunting hat, a symbol of his protection and sense of self. Holden also makes several remarks about the ducks on the lagoon of Central Park South. He wonders where they go when winter comes along. One can think of this as a VERY extended metaphor comparing Holden himself looking for a new place to settle to the ducks of Central Park. My recommendation is that if you are a teenager who has a touch on reality and would just love to hear other accounts and insights on life from a similar perspective, then this book is a MUST for you! If you are a little older perhaps and you think that all this is nonsense, then this novel is even more of a MUST for you. It is a must for anybody! Still, I honestlythink that my fellow teenagers will get more of a kick out of this book. Even my very own English teacher remarked that Catcher made more of an impact the first time she read it, of course when she was a female Holden, herself, a normal teenager just looking for complete ecstacy, including love, friends, and true family. Salinger also presents Holden's tale through very delicate symbols, including his hat, the rain, and even suitcases. Its better and more fulfilling for you to see these for yourself. Also, be prepared for constant exaggeration, complete oxymorons, and swearing because after all, this is a true representation of the maturing youth. If one is so superficial to simply not read this because of the choice of words, then i pity him, for he has completely missed the point that Salinger was trying to make, and he has missed out on truly one of the best books ever to be written.

Rating:
Summary: The Greatest Book of All Time
Review: "The Catcher In The Rye" is the truest, saddest, and most honest book that has ever been written. All other literary classic's dull in comparison to J.D. Salinger's. To Holden's feelings of insignifigance in a cold world to his love of the innocence of children. From his stark thoughts which everyone feels but most choose to deny. To the love he feels for those untainted by the "phoniness" of the adult world. I urge all people to read this book, your life will never be quite the same. "The Catcher In The Rye" rings true to me more than any movie, book, or song I've ever experienced.

Rating:
Summary: What? Did this guy write the book about me?
Review: I am not an avid reader, nor am I one who enjoys the burdensome task of slaving through a book for English class. I do read a lot (because I have to), and so far J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye is by far the best book I've ever read. In writing this book, Salinger surpassed Hemmingway, Hawthorne, and all the other "great writers."

Catcher is the story of Holden Caulfield, a selfish, hypocritical, and troubled teenager who has been kicked out of a private high school just before Christmas vacation. Like any teenager, he isn't eager to tell his parents that he's been kicked out of school, so he leaves his dorm and wanders around New York trying to find himself. The book follows Holden and his encounters in the Big Apple. He drinks in bars, solicits a prostitute, and does many other things that some boys at that age often think about, but lack the means and the cajones to actually do. Holden is troubled about the fact that he is growing up. He does not want to become older and sees his maturation as a transition from the real and personal world of being young to the phony, impersonal word of the older generation.

I enjoyed this novel because Salinger amazingly writes the dialogue of Holden to resemble that a real immature pre-adult. He also did not shy away from including profanity and risqué subject matter. Salinger also writes in a style which, as I have noticed over the past couple years, many of the great American novelists lack. It's called PLAIN ENGLISH. There is not any complicated dialogue, confusing metaphors, or any hidden meaning. When Salinger has a message, he says it straight out. Salinger's The Catcher In The Rye is a well written novel.

Any living, breathing, human with at least half a pulse would enjoy this novel at least for the story itself. However, if you are a guy around sixteen, seventeen, or eighteen you should definitely grab a copy of this book and get to reading. Trust me you wont be sorry. Salinger has also written some short stories like "A Perfect Day for Bananafish." I haven't read those stories yet, but if they contain only half the literary perfection found in The Catcher in the Rye, then they're definitely worth looking into.

Rating:
Summary: It did not seem profound
Review: Your asking why 3 stars. Well honestly I would have made it 3 1/2 if that justifies it. The reason why it didn't get the standard amazon.com ranking of 5 stars is because it just did not seem profound enough or motivating enough to get anymore. I was always jealous of not being able to read this in high school (for some reason it was not required) and I made a point of reading it someday (afterall this book was voted the best book by high school seniors this year in Illinois.)

Salinger did a wonderful job writing in a first person adolescent style speech, and the character desiring to be the 'catcher in the rye' seemed ironic. Nevertheless, I finished the book shrugging my shoulders and thinking 'what was the point?' It was well written, but I am not sure why it was voted as the best book by high schoolers - if any book should have had that honor I would think it would have been Harper Lee's book, To Kill a Mockingbird - which was also simply written but definitely felt more profound than this. Holden Caulfield is a typical cynical teenager that really has a hard time dealing with the senselessness of humanity. Nevertheless, I just didn't have any feelings toward the book afterward and it didn't feel as profound as many other reviewers felt it was.

I think everyone should read the book, but if you're over the age of 18, I think you'll find yourself saying - I wish I would have read this a few years ago because I feel I have outgrown the attitudes that Holden expresses. Will I have my kids read it some day? Absolutley, but would I say it was the best book I've read. No.

Rating:
Summary: Smoke Gets in your Eyes
Review: Phoebe gets on the carrousel at the end of The Catcher in the Rye and suddenly the carrousel is the rye field with the kids playing in it. Only this time instead of Holden, (Hold-on), wanting to catch any kids that fall, even though he is afraid of Phoebe falling as she reaches for the gold ring, he decides not to do or say anything because if they want to grab for the gold ring,(grow up), you have to let them. Holden at the end here is no longer the catcher or savior Christ figure. In fact in a way he is more of a Buddha figure sitting there feeling so damn happy, having a Satori-like experience of acceptance of change and impermanence very much the same insight as Siddhartha sitting under the Bodhi tree. Suddenly, as it rains like a bastard on Holden, the carrousel changes from rye field to the great wheel of birth and death with Phoebe, Holden, Salinger, and all the rest of us holding on and going round and round. ((( ))) Somewhat speculative I know but I do know this much. Those literary critics who can't see the carrousel as the rye field are going to miss a little too much. Oh and it's no accident that the song "Smoke gets in your Eyes" is playing on the carrousel. Here are the words to the song for those who don't know it. THEY ASKED ME HOW I KNEW.... MY TRUE LOVE WAS TRUE? I OF COURSE REPLIED, SOMETHING HERE INSIDE, CANNOT BE DENIED, THEY SAID SOMEDAY YOU'LL FIND, ALL WHO LOVE ARE BLIND, WHEN YOUR HEART'S ON FIRE, YOU MUST REALIZE, SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES, SO I CHAFFED THEM AND I GAYLY LAUGHED, TO THINK THEY COULD DOUBT MY LOVE, YET, TODAY, MY LOVE HAS FLOWN AWAY, I AM WITHOUT MY LOVE, NOW, LAUGHING FRIENDS DERIDE, TEARS I CANNOT HIDE, SO I SMILE AND SAY, WHEN A LOVELY FLAME DIES..... SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES.