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The Catcher in the Rye
by J.D. Salinger
Salinger's classic novel about alienation and teen angst.
It is difficult to believe that this book was written by a man in his thirties, but it was. Still banned in many schools, Salinger’s only published novel remains shrouded in controversy today. Catcher in the Rye is narrated by the troubled seventeen year-old Holden Caulfield, who tells the story of a few key days of his life. Having just been expelled from his prep school in Pennsylvania, and having suffered a bloody nose at the hand of his roommate, Holden packs up and heads to New York. He checks into a Manhattan hotel, where he people-watches from his window, witnessing a man dressing in women’s clothing and a couple engaged in what can only be interpreted as a bizarre type of foreplay. The rest of his evening is spent attempting to find female company, unsuccessfully. His trip only worsens from there, and throughout Holden’s monologue you can see his psychological decline. By the end of the story, it is apparent that he is telling his tale from inside of a mental institution.
Published in 1951, Catcher reflects the painfulness of growing up, loneliness and alienation, and the dilemma of true honesty with oneself. Holden remains one of the most iconic characters in all of literature, a symbol of teen angst and the human struggle. Salinger’s only full length novel, it was the subject of controversy due to the use of profanity and discussion of adolescent sexuality. The debate was only heightened when Mark Chapman asked John Lennon to sign his copy of the book the morning of his murder. But banning Catcher in the Rye in any school is a shame, for it is the source of literary inspiration for many lucky readers. More than a coming of age novel, it is truly about the human experience in a world full of strangers. Catcher is the perfect introduction to J.D. Salinger, who wrote many other brilliant stories, including Franny and Zooey and Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters.
Title: The Catcher in the Rye
Author: J.D. Salinger
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
ISBN: 0316769487
Review written by: Jennifer Kneisley
Reviewer's Rating:9.5
Reader's Rating: 0
Reader's Votes: 0
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