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Summary: The Catcher in the Rye
Review: Simply because a book wasn't written the way you would like it to be, does not mean it is a bad book. If every book was an adventure novel written in the same voice with the same tone, reading would get pretty pointless. The Catcher in the Rye is an extremely creative novel and should not be looked down upon simply because it is different. Why not enjoy a book for its good qualities and toss aside your single-minded view of the way a "perfect" book should be?
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Summary: A what in the rye?
Review: A catcher. It's actually a misquote explained in the book. Now if you've read some of these bad reveiws you're probably all set move on to another book, but there's hope. First you have to understand Salinger writes most of his stories like a puzzle and its up to the reader to figure it out. If you take the book at face value all you get is a confusing mess about a teen age boy. If you dig a little beneath the surface you find the story of a boy coming to terms with adulthood and growing up. His little sister Phoebe is the childhood essence, his dead brother Allie symbolizes never growing old, and Being a catcher in the rye is his desire to save children from the pains of adulthood. It does a good job of explaining a teenagers view of the adult life and childhood and the pain of being stuck in between. as for the story being depressing, if you realise that Holden, the main character, is happy in the end, willing to grow up, youd see its not depressive. As for those who says he just needs help and they couldnt relate, perhaps they should have read it when they were 16 or perhaps they should read it again. Look for the clues and youll realise the story is being told in some sort of institution were Holden is resting. The character isnt perfect, isnt overly likeably but that's what makes the story so great. It's a look at one mans real life, not a happily-ever-after story. A great book for anyone whos secure enough to read to learn, but not for anyone who reads to escape
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Summary: Not for people from West Virginia...
Review: You grew up in a small town, didn't have many friends, went off to college and found it to be a strange new place... This book is for you. I don't know what people in West Virginia have against this book, but I suppose like anything else, everything is relative to your own personal experience. If you've never lived in New York, you probably wouldn't understand. Anyone who can't understand why a man would pay a hooker just to get company, to have someone to talk to, has obviously never had the luxury of feeling true loneliness. Holden's inability to articulate a certain memory without sidetracking is indicative of his state of mind (is it not a term paper; it is a confused young kid talking about how he feels). If you don't understand that, you really shouldn't read the book at all.
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Summary: Brilliant!
Review: I would love to say something like: all those people who didn't like this book just don't know what life is all about, but I won't. This book is a classic and deservedly so. Salinger captures the spirit of Holden so emphatically that the book takes on an uneasy reality that few others have ever done for me. I suppose its true that you either love it or you hate it, but either way this book will take you to the extreme. And the ending (it just killed me:)) has got to be one of the best endings ever - so epicly overstated that it leaves you completely numb. Definitely a must read.
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Summary: The Best.
Review: >I may be missing something.Yes. You are. I'm sick of books trying to portrary a teenager's life as a beautiful. Because it is not. It is hell and as depressing as wanting to be a deaf-mute in the forest. There is no big moral or life lesson I can see in even life itself. Thank you J.D. Salinger for all the ones who still can't appreciate works like this. If it wasn't for them, there would be no books like this.
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Summary: Caught Between Adolescence and Adulthood
Review: This story should be read at a certain age, which for me is 15, in order for the reader to respect the quality of this book. The main character, Holden Caufield, is caught between the carefree world of childhood and the responsibility he fears facing when he reaches his adult years. He can no longer stand his confusion about what lies ahead in his future. Salinger offers many hints and symbols about the boy's confusion, even in his choice of drink- whiskey, an older man's drink, with soda, for the child in him. The title is "Cather in the Rye" because of the unreal profession Holden wants to occupy when he is older. This imaginary job is preventing children from falling off a cliff. The symbolism in this is that Holden really wants to prevent younger children from falling into the phoniness of teenage society and its cliques, modern day examples being wiggas, skaters, athletes, losers, etc. He wants all the children to be protected from the problems he faces. This story helped me out much when I read it only a couple of months ago, and his hopes of protecting children from falling into the phoniness of teenageism are fulfilled whenever someone, who is at the right age, reads this teriffic novel. It has affected my feelings of the teenage idealism that I see daily. I was insulted when my 30 year old brother said he couldn't stand the book, which he didn't bother to start reading until he was 29. It is perfect for the ages of 15-18.
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Summary: A Psychological Novel That Is Actually Easy to Read!
Review: This is a modern psychological novel I enjoyed very much, probably because it was a lot easier to read than other novels that explore the depths of the human mind, such as A Portrait of the Artist as A Young Man. Holden Caulfield is one of my favorite characters in literature. I like him because he is so human. Yes, he's a phony, yes, he is inconsistent, and yes, he has pointless pet peeves, but when I look at the world, I see that we all possess these characteristics. Overall, Holden is a nice, caring guy, but he has major problems. The novel is extremely entertaining, and Holden's comments are hilarious. Many of his observations about life and people are dead-on. Salinger tells this story almost flawlessly, and I especially love the ending - nothing happens. This was a book I had to read for school, which means I had to read it looking for themes, symbols, and patterns, and because Holden is such a round character, these things just jumped out at me while I was reading. This novel is an excellent chronicle of the "troubled teen," and I think that as time progresses, the greatness of this book will be realized even more.
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Summary: Messed up and Regressive
Review: The main idea behind The Catcher in the Rye is the psychological downfall of a sixteen-year-old boy named Holden Caulfield. I picked up on this towards the end of the book. This plot and the cursing make this book very depressing. However, the thing that annoys me the most is the way Holden keeps trailing off in the middle of story. He moves from one topic to another and back to the first several times throughout the story. I'd rather him stick to the point and maybe get to his subtopics a little later. In the story, surprisingly, Holden brings up how, in one of his classes, students were penalized for regression---trailing off in the middle of a story. It's odd because he is in the middle of the main story when he starts telling this one. It made me pretty mad. Also, during his few days alone in the world Holden does some of the messed up things; he pays for a hooker to come to his hotel room. I couldn't believe that. The kid is only sixteen! The best part of the story is in the last few chapters. Holden finally decides to go home and stay home instead of living alone in a cottage in the West. In the ending, not only is there a surprise but also a message. If you are not really open minded I don't recommend this book. If you are open minded, knock yourself out.
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Summary: Pointless
Review: I felt The Catcher in the Rye was written childishly and it didn't get to the point. Most books that teenagers are encouraged to read usually show a moral, lesson, or value in the text. No events occurred to make the plot interesting. I felt strongly that this book showed nothing else but simply a boy who needs help. Holden's outlook on life depressed me because he always looked for the bad in everything and everyone. I always try to relate with the main character of a book, and I was really hoping to get on the same page with Holden. Nothing good ever happened to him, but it's almost like he didn't want anything good to happen. He never got up the nerve to do anything he set up to do, such as calling Jane. Then he got with Sally. I really don't understand why. I think he wanted to drag her down in to his depressing world, poor girl. Also I don't understand why he thinks everyone's phony; he's the only phony one. I don't understand how so many opinions of this book could be high. I must be missing something. Maybe I am, but anyone who enjoyed this book must be able to relate to depressed people.
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Summary: The Phony in the Rye
Review: Phony. It's the only word that can actually describe this book. Most of the reviews I have read tell me its such a great book because it truthfully describes a teen's life. Some people even tell me that they are in love with Holden Caulfield, but that's another story... I had to read a book of my choice for my English class. I chose The Catcher in the Rye because I had heard so many great things about this book from movies and people. After only ONE page I became bored with this book. I don't like how Holden always begins to think about something else when he is already thinking of something. For example, on the second page he keeps talking about being at the football game and then starts to think about past games for no apparent reason. The profanity in the book was not that much of a bother to me. The only reason someone should ever want to read this book is if they have to do it for an English assignment or for their job. I rate this book with a star because of its poor story, and boring style. Finally if Amazon would of let me give it zero stars I would have because I truly believe that is what it deserves.
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