The Catcher in the Rye

Rating:
Summary: This book stinks. Or something. I don't know.
Review: I picked up this book because I grew up hearing it's title, which always intrigued me. It is written in the style of a wishy-washy 16-year old, this is the ONLY reason I give this book two stars. Salinger caught the wishy-washiness of a teenager's viewpoint on life PERFECTLY, but this perfect portrayal of a mind without goals is exactly what makes this book a TEDIOUS READ. Caulfield, the main character, cannont commit to one sentence throughout the entire book without backing out of it a sentence later, with a "or something," or a, "if you want to know the truth," or another dated late 1940's cliche'. I dropped this book, and picked up Les Liaisons Dangereuses, which was written 220 years ago, and IT seemed less dated. Don't read this unless you are a student of 1940's America, and you like terms like "I get a bang out of this," and, of course "That crumby person is a real phoney."

Rating:
Summary: Insanity?
Review: Sarcasm. Blunt profanity. Endless streams of ridicule. These are the three main things that spout continuously from Holden Caulfield's mouth throughout the course of J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye". Holden is a boy who always manages to bring out the negativity in even the most positive situations. Despite being an outcast from his friends and family, he dwells on his misfortune rather than changing his perspective on life. "The Catcher in the Rye" is a cut-and-dry journey through the mind and life of a boy who deals with the difficulties of being a teengager, but somehow manages to find happiness in the end. I wouldn't call it a must-read, but I enjoyed it somewhat.

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Summary: This book will impact your life, if you give it the chance.
Review: After reading "The Catcher in the Rye" I was able to see the brilliance of the author, J.D. Salinger. This novel puts a bold new perspective on issues concerning society. Salinger writes about a rebellious teenager who is diving head first into the adult world. His views on the situations and people that surround him have the ability to change our own thought processes and become more like the author himself.

Salinger uses a teenager named Holden with a short temper and a bad mouth to convey his thoughts on society. Holden is developed with amazing detail. The story is told through his eyes, which allows the reader to feel what he feels and analyze Holden's every thought. Holden has a very negative view of the people around him and society itself. He thinks that everyone is playing a role in order to use people and get what they want. To make his thoughts even more confusing, Holden has very fond memories of his childhood. Holden longs for things to be like they used to be, when he was innocent and carefree.

Salinger uses the character of Holden, someone people understand and relate to, in order to present his views on society. Salinger has the ability to back away from society and look at it from the outside. When he is apart from the deception and lies which represents society, Salinger has the ability point out it's mistakes and illustrate it to the rest of the world. Most people can't see through the wrapping paper that covers our lives and prevents us from seeing what actually in the box. Salinger has the ability to see reality, and through Holden he has revealed it to us. If Salinger had given us these life-changing views straight up without the connection of Holden, then people wouldn't have been able to comprehend their true meanings.

This book has changed my life and my outlook on the surrounding environment. I can now see the true motive behind people's actions and I know that not everything is what is appears to be. As you read this book, look past the foul language and the bizarre actions of Holden. Then you will see the true meaning that Salinger intended for this influential piece of literature. You can thoroughly enjoy this book, just remember to keep an open mind. Disregard everything that you believe is real, and allow J.D. Salinger to create a new reality for your mind.

Rating:
Summary: A "must read" for Teens
Review: Catcher in the Rye is a fantastic book for all ages. I liked it a lot because I feel that most teenagers can relate to the main character, Holden Caulfield. The book shows his struggle to find an indentity and what choices to make in life. J.D. Salinger really really uses a great deal of literary devices in describing Holden's adventures. This book was a wonderful book in which I enjoyed reading on more than one occasion. I truly recommend it for everybody.

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Summary: Salinger speaks to teens...
Review: "Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

In his classic literary work THE CATCHER IN THE RYE, J. D. Salinger hits the proverbial nail on the head in relation to teenage issues. The main character, Holden Caulfield journeys from his school (Pencey) to his home in search of some measure of spiritual meaning in life. Through his experiences and adventures, Holden gains much insight on the meaning of life. This issue of finding meaning in life is pertinent to adolescents everywhere. In this way, Salinger addresses concerns of teenage readers and relates them to Holden.

Whereas the transcendentalists of the nineteenth century fled to nature to look for meaning in life, Holden flees to the urban sprawl of New York. During his travels, he has many paradigm-shifting epiphanies: his brief relationship with a prostitute demonstrates the folly of superficial love; his disastrous date with an old friend teaches the same; and his encounters with profane graffitti around his younger sister's school teach him that the world is a cruel place and that no place is exempt from the sacreligious nature of humans. In such, Holden's brief journey can be seen as a representation of the period of time in which adolescents define themselves morally and spiritually.

Young Holden, in his rambling, elects to fight against all things phony. The iron of his morals and beliefs is forged in the fiery cauldron of the "real world." All teens experience this formative period when they choose which morals/beliefs to accept and which to reject. Indeed, it is only after this system of beliefs is established that one crosses the brink from the awkward uncertainty of adolescence to the calm assuredness of adulthood.

The simple conversational prose of Salinger's THE CATCHER IN THE RYE conceals many truths about life. In holding such deep meaning, the novel is worthy of any reader's attention. However, it rings even clearer to the teenage reader in that Holden faces many of the same momentous questions that adolescents face every day. Reading this novel is similar to talking to a close friend about life. Very few works of literature can claim that honor, but Salinger's masterpiece does. Holden's thoughts are the same as those of Thoreau and Emerson; they merely apply to a more modern setting. If one wishes to read about explosions and fireworks, they could just as well see a movie. However, if one wishes to ponder the meaning of life, they need not look any further than to the nearest copy of THE CATCHER IN THE RYE.

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Summary: Everyone can relate....
Review: The Catcher in the Rye enjoys its deserved popularity because Holden Caulfield, the main character of the book, is someone everyone can relate to. Everyone gets tired of the daily habits that make up their everyday life. Holden represents anarchy to the commonly accepted lifestyle and the daily grind. The Catcher in the Rye is a great book to read when you are angry at the world. Holden dares to be different, something that we all strive for in some form or fashion. He spits at the masses and blows off society. No matter how angry or frustrated people become, most will not follow Holden's gutsy footsteps. If you are like me, you can live vicariously thru Holden's adventures in recluse and big city solitude. Everyone should read this book at least once in their lifetime. Holden is a remarkable character and you will compare yourself to him many times over. I highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: The definition of Excellent Literature: "Catcher in the Rye"
Review: I was given the assignment of reading the "The Catcher in the Rye" in tenth grade and quickly feel in love with it. This book captivated my imagination and I found myself in another world. Holden is a mature male who is faced with everyday challenges which he needs to overcome to suceed in life. Holden is on the outside of the world looking in, so he has first hand accounts of events which he can describe to readers. A great trait this novel has is that it was very personable. Readers can relate to the experiences Holden overcomes, and sometimes even trips across. Readers are reminded through out the literature that Holden is human like everyone else. He makes mistakes and must pick himself back up and through his actions readers can see the strength it gives a person. Throughout "The Catcher in the Rye", Holden Caufield describes his world how "his eyes" see it. He is very bold and tells it like it is, for example throughout the the novel he vividly describes the phonies who are intertwined throughout people in everyday life. The Catcher really teaches you what you don't like about yourself and gives you a passage way to start over on. He condemns all the horrible people who are man-made by envy etc. and makes readers want to change people people for the better. This book will open your eyes, and hopefully inspire you to look deep inside yourself and criticize.

Rating:
Summary: Beyond the limitations of time and space...
Review: 16-year-old Holden Caulfield is more than the character in a book. Salinger has, through this youngster's eyes, made and accurate, moving -and at times hilarious- depiction of an everage teenager's mind. The narration of this boy's anguish and confusion after having been kickend out of school, and not knowing what to do with his life, goes beyond the limits of the novel and can easily represent the feelings of loneliness and disorientation of anyone alive in a crazy world. New York and the year 1945 set aside, this narration outstansingly trespasses the barriers of place and time, making it a MUST-READ book anywhere and any time...

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Summary: Changing views on The Catcher in the Rye
Review: I have read the Catcher on the Rye on two seperate occasions. The first time I read the novel several years ago I was swept up by the character Holden Caulfield and the way in which I could relate to him as a fifteen year old boy, but my opinions regarding The Catcher in the Rye changed somewhat when I read the book more recently as a college undergraduate. I can still see the way in which the book could be appealing to a teenage male filled with angst regarding that society that he lives in, but now I think that this novel could have been written in a much better way.

The Catcher in the Rye only loosely follows a plotline and therefore the events in the novel lack any noticeable connection or continuity except in the most general of ways. The novel, the it addresses serious issues, was not masterfully crafted on any literary level other than its characterization of Holden Caulfield as a teenager rejecting the "phony" society he is being forced to join as he grows older. Despite all of it's faults however, The Catcher in the Rye did start my interest in literature and showed me that things that I cared about could be addressed in literature. The Catcher in the Rye isn't a flawless novel, but it is a must read for any teenager. Hopefully future generations will be inspired by Salinger's wonderful use of the teenage character.

Rating:
Summary: the catcher in the rye
Review: Thousands of people have read The Catcher In the Rye and most of them loved it. As one of the people who love this book, I would say, this book is a really good to read. The writing style of this book is very different from style of other books. Also, it is easy to understand, so it doesn¡¯t bore the readers. It causes the readers want to read it. In addition, the author, J.D. Salinger has the great skill, which makes the reader feel like being in the story. These are the reason why The Catcher In the Rye is a really good book to read. Many ¡°Best-Sellers¡± have attracted people with their amusement of the contents. In this sense, The Catcher In the Rye has a great resource of enjoyment for readers. In my case, I never got bored of this book, during entire period of reading. The first interesting part of the book is its distinctive language use. The main character, Holden Caulfield, tells the story as a narrator. He recites and describes his feelings in vivid expressions as if he speaks to readers. As he narrates the story, he uses the language, which would be used in conversation between close friends. For example, he says, ¡° I was the goddam manager of the fencing team. Very big deal. We¡¯d gone in to New York that morning for this fencing meet with McBurney School (P.3).¡± It makes the reader to be more friendly and comfortable with the book. Holden Caulfield is a teenager boy and story is mostly about his experiences of many new things as a teenager. This gets me excited, because I am also a teenager. Things he has experienced and the way he has felt are quite friendly to me. I feel something that adult reader would not feel. Thus, the teenagers would enjoy this book a lot more than adults would. To tell the truth, this book was my 3rd or 4th book I have read in my life, except the books I read from school. With the books I have read, I had some troubles reading it, because there were some parts that were totally confusing and hard to understand. Also, the vocabulary often stops flow of reading, because I had to look in the dictionary quite often to find the meaning of the words. However, The Catcher In the Rye was very easy to read and understand. I hardly ever looked in the dictionary. I could easily finish one chapter without getting stuck. Moreover, I didn¡¯t need to think hard while I read this book. I could just relax and enjoy it. That¡¯s one of the reasons why it¡¯s really a good book to read. While I read this book, I have realized the author¡¯s great writing ability. He has the ability to make the readers feel really being in the story. Also he makes the readers feel the same way as Holden does. For example, I felt depressed when Holden was down, and I felt quite delighted when Holden finally gets what he wanted. While I was reading, I was so deep in the book, so that I didn¡¯t recognize my brother¡¯s calling me and couldn¡¯t feel the time passing. In my opinion, the author, J.D. Salinger is a fantastic writer who can manipulate the readers while they read. The author who can put you so deep inside of the book, you just got to find out what will happen next. The most main reason why The Catcher In the Rye is really a good book to read, is because of the author¡¯s ability. The Catcher In the Rye is a very nice book to read, especially for teenagers. This book well describes a teenager¡¯s feelings of experiencing new life. This book is fun and humorous that keeps the reader away from sleeping or getting bored. It¡¯s also very easy and simple; it gives you a comfort and relaxes. It¡¯s totally different from the other books, which would give you a headache. In addition, this book is well written enough to get you really in the story. The author makes the readers fall into the story and feel the sadness and happiness as the story goes along. It¡¯s the author that creates the different world in your mind. This skillful writing with humor and straightforward expressions are the reasons why The Catcher In the Rye is a really good book to read.