Rating:  Summary: Somebody please catch this book! Review: I think this a very bad book. All it talks about is a boy, who tries to be unique and be himself. He calls everone he meets phonies, but what he does not get is that he is very phony by saying he does not care about what people say when the truth is that he really does care. For me reading this book was a hard to read (and I read a lot, Believe me!) because Salinger did not make the reading very easy. If all of Salinger's books are like the Catcher in the Rye, then I will never read Salinger again.
Rating:  Summary: The Catcher in the Rye Review: I thought the book was kind of dumb. It seemed to not really have a point, but drag on anyways. It might have been better if it was shorter because then it wouldn't be as drawn out. I also thought it was confusing.
Rating:  Summary: QxQxQ...Deeper Meaning...QxQxQ [12.3.02] Review: .:My "2-Chunk" View:.The classic novel "The Catcher in the Rye," by J.D. Salinger, demonstrates the eremitic, yet everyday-life of a teenager named Holden Caufield by exhibiting the agony he experiences constantly but eventually displaying there is more to him than one perceives. Holden gets kicked out of Pencey Highschool--one of the many schools he's been kicked out of already- and on his way to his dorm, he decides to visit one of his acquaintances when "all of a sudden," he says, "I changed my mind. All of a sudden, I decided what I'd really do, I'd get the hell out of Pencey-right that same night and all... I just didn't want to hang around any more. It made me too sad and lonesome" (p. 51). Depressed of his life, he depreciates the many failures and downfalls that he has been reproved of and refuses to atone for his heedlessness and imprudence. Holden neglectfully ignores better opportunities in addition to neglecting his problems and usual life-obstacles by manifesting his hate of the world and his aimless futile of his life. Negligent of insolence, his ten-year-old sister, Pheobe, even persists he doesn't "like anything that's happening" which "made [Holden] even more depressed when she said that" (p. 169). Pheobe finds the right words to portray Holden's personality and most likely the main reason why Holden is insecure and unhappy--because there's nothing he takes the time to enjoy. Holden, however, listens to Pheobe and although he doubts her, he cares about what she says thus portraying the affectionate side of him and conveying his character as a means of possible hope within himself. Although incredulous, despite the many hardships Holden encounters, the author is trying to depict the misery of a teenager that he or she goes through is something that many misunderstand and that there's always something deeper then many descry it as. --- .:My Opinion:. I was astonished at Holden's attitude and use of words, but of course characteristics such as these are necessary to portray the type of character and set the mood. Constantly, however, Holden always seemed to get side tracked telling a story then suddenly jumping to something completely irrelevant. Most likely, most novels start out slow-however! I found this book slow until the very end. I can see why this book is considered a classic because its value to society it confers, yet I never found any excitement in reading it. This book in my opinion isn't exactly a story, but more of a reality check. Honestly, when I finished reading the book, all I could say is, "Okaaay?" I was definitely going to rate this book a "1" until I read other reviews and realized how unperceptive I was being. I contemplated about what the message was and what kind of character Holden represents in society today. I considered pensively about the irrelevant details and the simple, constant use of certain words, and finally came to a conclusion that everytime he talked to someone they wouldn't listen to him. Then I realized that was exactly what I was doing-I didn't want to hear his "boring" stories that had nothing to do with anything! The whole time I was thinking, "What is he so depressed about?!" but I realized in the end that that's why Pheobe made him so happy-- she listened to him. So I changed my view about things and ruminated that Salinger's message of a teenager's deeper feelings is exactly what this book is. The novel, "The Catcher in the Rye," is a teenager of books with deeper meaning, just like Holden. Strange, huh? How we judge something or someONE before we actually stop and take a deeper look? "Everyone sees who you seem to be, few understand who you really are." --Machiavelli
Rating:  Summary: Best friend Review: Catcher in the Rye is a book I have read, and reread over the years with deep satisfaction. As an adolescent, this book was sometimes like a best friend, a comfort and reassurance that I was not alone in my "outsider" view of the world. The narrator - Holden Caulfield - is a classic "outsider" in the Colin Wilson sense of the word - an individual who is on the fringes of society, unsure of his place and unable to tolerate what most people regard as regular social discourse. Everything reeks of phoniness to Holden, and most of the characters he encounters in his New York sojourn do have pretensions that would make those of us who are more cynical cringe. Yet he remains a uniquely likeable character, as we can see that he has the capacity to love, and he sees a special innocence in children which is best portrayed through his relationship with his little sister Phoebe. There is no real plot to this book, it is strictly the observations of society through the eyes of one everyman who may or may not resonate with the reader. What astonishes me is how this book can make people feel connected to something rather than more disconnected. Perhaps that is it's greatest achievement - it leaves the reader with a sense that they are not alone in their feeling of disenfranchisement with contemporary society. It is also screamingly funny at times, and occasionally quite sad. It certainly isn't for everyone, but those who love this book will probably always have a special place for it in their hearts.
Rating:  Summary: Over-rated. Review: I liked the book, but it is not, in my opinion, worthy of the praise which is bestowed on it. I rate a book by whether I would like to read it again, and this one I wouldn't. However, it is a book that should be read by everyone, like in high school.
Rating:  Summary: Catch this.... Review: Catcher in the Rye definitely got my attention in the beginning. It was interesting going throught the life of a young man and his journey, but after reading about how he feels about this or that and really it seemed like of a lot of opinions on his part, it got really old and boring. Because I don't agree or I cannot relate to what it is he is talking about. Although it is a good book and could even be a fun adventure.
Rating:  Summary: Timeless Review: This was my first Salinger work. Having been one of the few people amongst my friends to not have read 'The Catcher in the Rye', I decided to finally pick it up and give it a try. I knew nothing about the book's premise or character(s). Having gone into the experience blind, I feel that I came away with more than I may have otherwise. On the outside, Salinger provides a story way ahead of its time. He achieves this by using amazingly modern prose in a book half a century old. What I thought were late-20th, early-21st century concepts are mentioned in varying degrees of detail, while others are merely implied. Nevertheless, I was taken aback by the coarseness and realness of Salinger's words. They made the Holden Caufield character that much more tangibly real and relatable. It also seems that Salinger was intent on making a social statement with this book. My interpretation of it is quite different than other readers, but that is this book's greatest quality--it's packed with symbolism in so many places and in so many ways that every reader can guarantee herself a unique, one-of-a-kind experience. While the story seemed a bit too unimportant at times, by the end, Salinger leaves you with a growing sense of reflection and intrigue as to what Holden is really about, and what the author was really trying to say through his famous disgruntled teenager. I would definitely recommend this book to just about anyone; should you choose to make its story a personal mantra or write a dissertation on its implied social views, you'll enjoy the book all the same. 'The Catcher in the Rye' provides a large gift in a little package.
Rating:  Summary: Please read this... Review: Reading "The Catcher in the Rye" was a wonderful experience. It's not that I find myself in his situation at the moment, but I once was in his shoes. Well, sort of. I was once as cynical as he is; intolerable. I hated people and judged them. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to live and suffer Holden's life. I recommend it to the person who being open minded is ready to enter a world full of conflict. This book really deserves all the praise, it is a must read for any person, not just teenagers. As I said before, in one way or another you can easily feel in his shoes. And if not, still you'll have a good time following Holden's chaotic life.
Rating:  Summary: Falling off by Cesar Review: This book is excellent, I truly recommend it. I think that seeing Holden experiment all this situations that he causes to himself, make us think about our life. It is very easy to relate to a lot of stuff that he suffers true life, more over if you are an adolescent. Just be careful a bit, because he is constantly repeating himself, and a lot of the true things that happen to him are just cause by his own contradictions, and his negatives to everything, because he is the one that doesn't accepts other points of view. One more thing to say, is that New York is the perfect scenario for this story, because being such a big city, Holden can obtain whatever he wants, so this makes it even more interesting. Well to conclude, this is a very good book, that is worth to be read.
Rating:  Summary: Catcher in the Rye Review: Its amazong that i am even writing this review, i think that writing reviews taints the published work, i am writing this more because i read someone bashing the book, which is absolutely rediculous. i am glad there are people that dont like it actually. The book is a single read in my opinion, read it once and be absorbed, and you either get it or you dont. It captures a certain time in life and certain feelings accurately and absolutely, that is what is stunning. IT also captures a thought process as it occurs, few books do this so well. If you are young and dislike the way the world works, and are a dichotomy yourself and you realize it, i think you will like the book. stop reading reviews too right after mine and just read the book or dont.
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