Rating: 
Summary: Dear Holden: Please jump.
Review: I'll be the first to confess to a cultural Achilles' heel that runs up my back, over my skull and down to the unlovely bags under my eyes. As such, I am frequently at a loss to understand what the fuss is about. And it is perhaps for this reason that I still remain perplexed, nay flummoxed, by the cult status of this book and that of its repulsive protagonist, Holden Caulfield. When I first endured this merciless literary thumbscrew, it was in the late 1970s, at the behest of a high school English teacher who wore clogs, wooden jewelry and ambulatory tents made of faded denim. She believed with almost anguished sincerity that her students would "connect" with Holden, or find something "relevant" in the book. I quickly came to a conclusion that a recent re-reading has done nothing to dispel: Holden is a jackass. He's a spoiled prep school jerk who's so sickeningly self-involved that he has no clue that the people around him exist as anything other than background figures in the melodrama going on entirely in his own skull. He constantly refers to anything that doesn't meet with his schoolboy approval as "corny" and labors under the delusion that he's the first person who ever noticed that the transition out of childhood is awkward and uncomfortable, or that it's just no picnic facing grief and loss. Listen, you pustular little spud, we all go through it, and it's about as cosmically significant as a crumpled wad of used Kleenex. Maybe half a century ago, this hog wallow of teen angst was something fresh. But if Salinger had some larger point to make about coming of age it has all but disappeared in the fetishization of adolescence that took off not too long afterward, and has clung to our culture ever since. And the excruciating way that Holden speaks-the kid sounds like his lines were written by some Monogram Pictures hack who specialized in gangster dialogue for Bowery Boys movies. All that's missing from Holden's self-consciously brittle patois is some edgy patter about the agony of acne or the distressing appearance of pubic hair. ("One crummy day these goddam phony red spots started sprouting all over my mug. Next day it was some corny cork-screwy hairs poppin' outta my BVDs. . . .") On the plus side, this book did make me feel embarrassed to admit that I was 16, but I was one of only two people in the class who felt that way. The other one is in prison today. He strangled an impossibly precocious brat named Allie. The book does, however offer one appealing if thinly drawn character. This is Edgar Marsalla, the hero who blew an audible fart in the chapel. I can't help feeling that he was expressing his opinion of his grating classmate, and got along much better in life than Holden ever did.
Rating: 
Summary: Quintessential American Classic
Review: It's no accident that Catcher in the Rye routinely appears on readers' lists of favorite books. It represents the first and perhaps the best book that adresses teen isolation and frustration. I first read this book as a teen, but have re-read it several times. Each time, I have been able to relate to different aspects of this exceptional novel. Nowadays, I am a child psychologist and see so much of my teen clients in this book. I can also see parts of myself in the "hypocritical" adults that populate Salinger's book. Of course, my perspective is different now and I understand that this kind of behavior is what helps us succeed in the world, but it always makes me think and question myself. A true sign of a classic. If you're a teen, read it now, and if you're older, read it now!
Rating: 
Summary: Literary Masterpiece? - Don't think so.
Review: Regardless of all the accolades and glowing reviews this book has gained over the years, I remain adamant that this is one of the worst books I have ever read. The writing is, in my opinion, awful as well as being boring to read. The only reason I ever even finished this book was because I had to do a report on it. Now many people are doubtless going to argue that this book "defines a generation" or maybe "exemplifies the struggle for maturity in urban America" or some other fancy phrase. That it may be, but for a book to win your approval, you actually have to like it. Now, some may be saying that I am a crusty old fart who hates everyone and everything and does not understand the struggle that Mr. Caulfield is going through. Not the case. I am currently 16 years of age and read this book when I was 15. This fellow embodies all of the qualities that I despise in people. Irresponsibility, arrogance, obnoxiousness, laziness - these are just a few of the things that I hate about Holden. A harsh review you say? Well that's just my opinon and I have a right to voice it.
Rating:
Summary: Bleh
Review: I find this book iritating to the core. The main character wastes away his young life complaining about how crapy society is and how phonie everything is asnd does this for ever an ever and ever. I honestly do not know why this is a "Classic." It has none of wonderfu; messages you find in other classic books, such as For whom the bell tolls and to kill a mocking bird. It was a torment to read, only heightened when I found out that the author is just like his character...a reclusive, winey, utterly self absorbed man who refuses to actaully try to change the world, instead just hiding away from it.
Rating:
Summary: A book that offers so much
Review: Personally, I think this is one of the greatest books ever written. The themes it teaches are just amazing. My perception of the theme was to live life to the fullest. Holden was trying to say that you should cherish your childhood, don't grow up too fast. Another theme in this book is things don't always work out the way you want them to. That's not much of a lesson, but it is true.
Another reason that this book is great is because Salinger does a great job in describing his characters. You really get a vivid picture in your head of Holden when reading this book. My only complaint is that Salinger didn't write more than a few books.
Rating:
Summary: FANTASTIC
Review: I FIRST ATTEMPTED TO READ THIS BOOK WHEN I WAS ABOUT FOURTEEN BUT COULDN'T CONTINUE IT.I WONDRED WHAT THE AUTHOR HAD BEEN ON WHEN HE WROTE THE BOOK. IT WAS LIKE NOTHING I'D EVER READ BEFORE.HOWEVER LAST EASTER 8YRS ON I TOOK IT TO PORTUGAL WITH ME AND MISSED A DAY AND HALF THROUGH COMPULSIVE READING.ONCE I GOT INTO THE STYLE OF WRITING WHICH DIDN'T TAKE LONG, I FOUND THAT IN A HUMOROUS SORT OF WAY YOU ADOPT, IN YOUR HEAD, THE DISGRUNTLED,SYNICAL AND SARCASTIC TONE THAT IS EVIDENT IN THE BOOK.ALL THE GOD DAMNS AND REPETITION BECAME REALLY ANNOYING BUT THATS WHAT MADE IT SUCH BELIEVEABLE DOWN TO EARTH BOOK.BY THE END OF THE BOOK I REALLY FELT LIKE YOU NEW HOLDEN VERY WELL IN THE SENSE THAT HE WAS MY ANNOYING BROTHER THAT I COULDN'T HELP BUT LIKE THROUGH ALL HIS ANNOYING FAULTS.THE CHARACTER HOLDEN WAS SCARILY REAL.PERSONALLY I COULD REMEMBER WHEN I WAS HIS AGE WITH THE SAME ATTITUDE AND EVEN TODAY MY ATTENTION TO DETAIL IS JUST AS STRONG AS HIS , SO IN THAT SENSE HOLDEN IS A CHARACTER THAT MANY WILL BE ABLE TO RELATE TO. THIS BOOK COULD BE VIEWED AS DEPRESSING IF THE READER DOES NOT LOOK DEEPER THAN THE SURFACE.THIS BOOK IS FULL RELATABLE HUMOUR AND WHEN I GOT TO THE END I WAS FILLED EITH DISAPPOINTMENT.I WANTED TO READ MORE.EVER SINCE READING THIS BOOK I HAVE LOOKED FOR THE SAME KIND OF BOOK WHICH IS EQUALLY AS STRONG. I TRIED NICK HORNBY'S "ABOUT A BOY" HOWEVER THE STRENGTH OF WRITING ANG CHARACTER JUST WASN'T IN THE SAME LEAGUE.THIS IS AN UNMATCHABLE BOOK.IF ANYONE THINKS THEY HAVE FOUND A SIMULAR BOOK THEN I'D LIKE TO KNOW.
Rating:
Summary: A powerful, gripping, honest novel
Review: Somehow I, a quite literate person, managed to live 31 years without reading this book. I never really took the time to see what it was about; I just pictured some guy out in a rye field, and the notion did not strike me as interesting. I hope no one else has such an idea because this book is inherently honest, gripping, and interesting. This is really a story of young angst , and it should really appeal to young people. I actually see a lot of Holden Caulfield in myself, which is not necessarily a good thing. However, I think there is some of Holden in almost everyone because Holden thinks and says the things that many people think (but perhaps will not admit). This guy hates everything and everybody at some point. One minute, he does something he doesn't want to do because he is afraid of looking foolish. The next minute, he rushes headlong into a conversation full of tall tales and impassioned statements and requests he may or may not even mean. Ironically, such maniacal conversations often reveal the deepest truths about himself. Through it all, he questions why he does certain things, and repeatedly asserts that he is crazy. What struck me most is the way seemingly small and arbitrary things depressed him. The same thing happens to me, and such little things can actually be more depressing than major traumas. These are feelings I have never been able to really explain, nor have I attempted to do so, yet Holden seems to express my own strange feelings clearly and eloquently. He is just a confused young man, scarred by the death of his younger brother. As he is away at school(s) so often, he is left quite lonely, yet he does not really know how to relate to other people. The guy is to some degree a typical teenager, it seems to me, searching for a direction in life. In his own mind, bothersome things happen to him all the time, and he is constantly disgusted by the action of phonies all around him. Like him or not, Holden is no phony. In a way, I'm not sure why this book is such a critical success. It doesn't read like a traditional classic of literature, especially with the abundant cursing. I consider this to be a painfully real and honest story, reflecting a very important viewpoint on life and society. It pulls no punches, and it offers no apologies. As a result, Holden Caulfield is one of the most "real" fictional characters in all of literature. While some readers may not like him, almost everyone can understand him, sympathize with him, and even learn from him. This book is one to be read and read again. I wish the story had gone on, that some of my questions had been answered. Part of the point, though, seems to be that there really are no answers to be found. I would recommend this book to anyone. It should especially appeal to young people. It's relatively short, and it is realistic and gripping from start to finish. While he is not a hero, Holden will become a soul mate of sorts to folks who are lonely and confused about their places in life. If for no other reason, read it because it is a perpetual target of the banned books crowd. There is a lot of cursing in these pages, but it is nothing extreme or unfamiliar to anyone out there who doesn't live in a convent. I believe the cursing is actually necessary in terms of truly bringing Holden to life. Concentrate on the story, not the words. I have an old copy of this book, and on the cover are these words: "This unusual book may shock you, will make you laugh, and may break your heart--but you will never forget it." That pretty much says it all.
Rating: 
Summary: From the mind of a 16 year old.
Review: The Story begins with Holden Caulfield's fourth dismissal from an all-boys prep school. From beginning to end he lacks direction yet in his own scrambled way he is searching for answers. Again and again he rambles on about how depressed and bored he is. Continuously complaining that he is surrounded by phonies; his banter goes off on tangents that never seem to lead him to any solutions. Holden reminded me of a teenager with Attention Deficit Disorder who when given solutions couldn't seem to process them. The redeeming part of this book was Holden's relationship with his sister Phoebe. Younger than Holden, she seemed to have more direction and sense than he has ever had. I liked his affectionate name for her, "old Phoebe". The tie in to the title was an interesting aspect of Holden's personality. In his dreams he saw himself as standing guard on the edge of a field of rye, catching all the children who were about to fall over the edge. Similar to his outlook in life where he seemed to protect those that were in need. I know to some this book brings back fond memories of days long past, and a coming of age story that has lasted throughout the decades, but I don't see what the cult like fascination with it is. Kelsana 1/22/02
Rating:
Summary: Captures the indescribable
Review: J.D. Salinger perfectly captures all of those conflicting emotions that are most prominent in the adolescent years from feeling awkwardly unique to a complete intolerance for 'phonies'. Before reading this book, I still believed that certain thoughts and actions that I had experienced and undertaken during my formative years were unique to me, so you can imagine my surprise when I discovered that this was not the case merely by reading a rather thin book! I read this book in one sitting and found it utterly enthralling and it is one of the few books that I have felt compelled to read again.
Rating:
Summary: great book
Review: when i started this book i wasn't sure if i was going to finish it but as i continued reading it, i quickly learned how interesting it was. you can not only have your own opinion on what is really going on in this book but you can learn a lesson from it.
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