The Catcher in the Rye

Rating:
Summary: The Best Review in the whole world
Review: The Catcher in the Rye is considered by some people to be very controversial, and it was even banned in America after it was first released. It's about a boy named Holden who has a nervous breakdown and all of his experiences while this is going on. This book is great, despite the negative feelings that have been formed about it. Let's dive in and see what this book is all about.
This novel is set in New York City during the 1950's. This New York setting adds lots of excitement and unexpected sights, considering the city holds more than the human eye can see. By doing this, J.D. Salinger allows Holden, the main character to be set in a "world" within a world. By this, I mean that the excitement and unexpected sights of the city really adds a fantastic effect and opportunity for the character. This allows Holden to get a sense of an "unsafe" place, and an opportunity to meet astonishing characters and be exposed to new situations.
The book is narrated by sixteen year old Holden Caufield whose experiences form the action of the novel. His history of getting kicked out of schools, the death of his brother and his academic failure have caused him to hate the "system," and the world. These events all lead to his noteworthy emotional breakdown.
Something that I really enjoyed about this book is Holden's language. Salinger writes from Holden's point of view, using colloquial speech, and a few key terms. By doing this you're able to see what comes out of Holden's mind which gives you his perspective on things. It's a good way of connecting the reader to the character. An example of his key terms are the words "phony" and "naturally". He uses the word "phonies" to show his negative tone towards people and things he doesn't like; whereas he uses the word "naturally" as filler in his speaking.
Unlike many other books, this one has many little climaxes. The first two are when Holden gets in a fight with his roommate and later, when he fights a pimp. He winds up losing both of these and deals with the defeat by running away. The other three climaxes all have to do with rejection. The first of these three is when he calls this girl Sally and sets a date with her, but in the middle of the date she laughs at him and leaves. The second is when his little sister Phoebe doesn't want to listen to him and is disappointed because he was expelled again and the third is when his teacher Mr. Antolini gives him a talk about his school work, and then touches his forehead later that night, which Holden takes as a sexual gesture, and becomes disgusted with him. These climaxes all stress how Holden is constantly faced with defeat and have no one to turn to. The part of the book that really shows this is when he goes to central park to watch the ducks, but one day finds that they're not there anymore. He can't figure out where they went, but this makes him realize that he needs to figure out his purpose and direction.
The conclusion of this book is when Holden realizes that he doesn't fit in with the world and that he feels defeated. He winds up going to a mental hospital, which you learn that he has been narrating the whole book while he was sitting there telling his story to a psychiatrist. Although this book is thought to be very controversial, it is a great example of a real life situation and was very well written.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent at Any Age
Review: I first read this book at ninteen and hated it for the first few chapters, but thankfully it was required reading so I was obliged to continue and thus it developed into one of the most meaningful books for me to date - years later it still holds a place of honor in my mind's anthology of great literature.
I did not find that I related that much to Holden personally, but his general ideas, insecurities, and his desire to feel as if he has a place where he can belong and feel loved (hence the inclusion of the crucial character Jane, who is never actually in the story) are characteristics that not only teens but adults can relate to. In a way, it is a comfort to me becuase it serves to remind me of what it was like being a teenager and how throughout that poetentially difficult period in life we are not as alone in our feelings of confusion and desire to feel some peace as we may think we are. While I would not call this a "feel good" book by any means, the vulnerability that comes through in Holden's inner monologues is touching and heartfelt in it's truth. I love this book and think that it has something to offer everyone, no matter what age you may be upon first reading it.

Rating:
Summary: HOLDEN SUFFERS FROM DEPRESSION OVER LOSS OF YOUNGER BROTHER
Review: I did not read it in college and have felt as if I were missing something.

At first I had a difficult time relating to Holden, since I am now 36 years old. I felt he was childish and immature but something hit a nerve as I continued reading on. He is severly depressed over the lose of his brother and I feel he either wishes it were himself who should've died and/or feels completely out of control because he could not stop his brothers death. He tries to be removed from himself and others and views everyone as phony or a bore, not allowing himself to care or be affected by anyone other than his kid sister. His sister is his saving grace!!

I completely related to the character once I removed my adultness and recalled what pain it is to loose a sibling as I lost my brother when I was only 10 years old. I had depression, malnutrition and vision lose due to stress and depression. Of course my parents did not realize what was happening to me at the time. Times were not very "open".

The sadness in this book; no one recognized his real issue. During the era this book was written, parents did not understand the long term affects death of a sibling has on their children.

All teenagers should read this in high school not college, it would be a great tool for teenagers not feel alone with their pain. Also, any parents with teenagers should read this as well...with a non judgemental mindset.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic
Review: "The Catcher in the Rye" does a heck of a lot more than portray adolescant agnst. Holden Caulfield is not just a rebellious teenager, rather he is almost the embodiment of a poet's soul. The reason I say this is because he is not rebelling against society, rather he is unable to conform to it. He is unable to conform to his lawyer father, and his preppy school, because he sees beyond them into his fantasy of catching children in a field of rye. As he tells his sister Phoebe in the scene back at his apartment, "that is the only thing" he can ever do.
If you want to learn about adolescant agnst then watch MTV all day, but if you want to learn about human nature then read, "The Catcher in the Rye."

Rating:
Summary: no redeeming qualities at all
Review: usually, i can see redeeming qualities in book's i dislike...but in this case, i can't understand why anyone would like such a pointless book. did i miss the point? probably...because it must have been mentioned while i was too busy screaming at how idiotic and frustrating the narrator is.

Rating:
Summary: Waiting for a point
Review: I read this book for English. At first, I was excited at reading such a classic and a famous book. Then, I was very let down. It rambles on and on, with no real point or meaning. There are a lot of unsuitable bits in it including SWEARING, PROSTITUTION, DRUNKENESS, and other things. I have no idea why it is considered such a classic. If you are a human being, or if you are looking for a meaningful book, don't come here.

Rating:
Summary: Do not hesitate: read this book!
Review: Holden Caufield, a 16 year-old boy on the verge of adulthood, is not sure of how to behave in a world filled with 'phonies'. Holden wanders around his hometown New York, after he got expelled from this fine school Pencey for bad term results. Not wanting to face his parents, he tries to find out what life has to offer, if there is a way out of superficiality.

What makes this story so controversial is that it attacks the basic values of the American Way of Living. At the age of sixteen Holden realizes that life is not like the make-believe of the pictures. After some embarrassing confrontation he realizes that what lies behind the façade of normality is often very painful, but still offers its own dark pleasures. Holden's biggest wish is to escape from everything 'phony', but what he gets is confirmation of his own faking.

The Catcher in the Rye is a book that has been analyzed by scholars like no other book. Trying to summarize the impact in a few lines is simply impossible. What can be made clear though, is that no matter if you hate or love the book, it will leave a permanent impression behind somewhere in every readers mind, a little devil that awakes at the most unexpected moments. If their is ever going to be made a list of most powerful books, The Catcher in the Rye is bound to be heavy competition for first place.

What the character Holden hungers for the most, is exactly for what Salinger himself has found the courage to accomplish: the author now lives in a secluded cottage, isolated form everything 'phony'. Rumors say that he is still writing books, but refuses to publish any of them. I find it very admirable that Salinger does not betray his own principles. But then again, if means that we cannot read what masterpieces he is bound to have written...

Rating:
Summary: Greatest Teenage Character Study Ever Written! A MUST-READ!
Review: The first thing you need to know about the book's plot is this: nothing happens...and yet everything happens. It's that simple. Salinger takes us on a journey through 48 hours of one boy's life as he gets kicked out of Pencey Preparatory School ("molding boys into splendid, clear-thinking young men"). He's flunking every class but English. This is just before Christmas, so you can just imagine what this must do to his peace-on-earth-goodwill-to-men spirit. He decides to ditch the last couple days of school and heads for home where he hopes to say good-bye to his much-loved younger sister Phoebe before he heads out West where it's pretty and sunny and nobody'd know him and he could pretend to be a deaf-mute. That's it. That's the "action." Over the course of those 48 hours, the sixteen-year-old Holden fights, smokes, drinks, hires a prostitute (unconsummated) and writes an English composition about a baseball glove.

Through it all, there's his voice. Oh, what a voice. Salinger builds the book based on the cadences of language. Every "anyway," every "boy," is carefully calculated according to the Principle Law of Staccato and Repetition. The art of this book is that you don't see the art of it. Salinger took ten years to artfully create an easily readable, stylized first person narrative that to this day remains unmatched. If you haven't read this book yet, you'll enjoy it now. Other books I highly recommend: To Kill A Mockingbird, The Losers' Club by Richard Perez

Rating:
Summary: Bad book, would make a good movie
Review: This is a classic example of a book that would be much better as a movie. It really is just a watered down, tame Dawson's Creek episode. Salinger doesn't know how to write dialogue or project teenager's emotions, but some of the visuals and situations would play out well in a film. I could see this starring Freddie Prinze Jr. This screwy book should be stripped from the shelves and turned into a WB show, maybe it could replace Dawson. Two thumbs down, Salinger.

Rating:
Summary: My Thoughts
Review: Look I know i'm only 12 (13 in 2 months) but The Catcher In The Rye is an excellent book. It deals with everyday life like getting kicked out of school, fear of your parents, family relationships, alchol, hookers, girl friends, even sibling friends right through to wanting to run away with someone just to get away.