book review catcher in the rye

The Catcher in the Rye

J.d. salinger.

277 pages, Paperback

First published July 16, 1951

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Just as someday, if you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you. It's a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn't education. It's history. It's poetry.

“Me paso el día imponiéndome límites que luego cruzo todo el tiempo.”

“… si de verdad te pones a defender a tíos inocentes, ¿cómo sabes que lo haces porque quieres salvarles la vida, o porque quieres que todos te consideren un abogado estupendo y te den palmaditas en la espalda y te feliciten los periodistas cuando acaba el juicio como pasa en toda esa imbecilidad de películas? ¿Cómo sabes tú mismo que no te estás mintiendo? Eso es lo malo, que nunca llegas a saberlo.”

“Eso es lo malo. Que no hay forma de dar con un sitio tranquilo porque no existe. Cuando te crees que por fin lo has encontrado, te encuentras con que alguien ha escrito un joder en la pared… aunque dedicara uno a eso un millón de años, nunca sería capaz de borrar todos los joder del mundo. Sería imposible.”

“¿Sabes que me gustaría ser? (…) Muchas veces me imagino que hay un montón de niños jugando en un campo de centeno. Miles de niños. Y están solos. Quiero decir que no hay nadie mayor vigilándolos. Solo yo. Estoy al borde de un precipicio y mi trabajo consiste en evitar que caigan por él. En cuanto empiezan a correr sin mirar adónde van, yo salgo de donde esté y los cojo. Eso es lo que me gustaría hacer todo el tiempo. Yo sería el guardián entre el centeno”

“…había como un millón de chicas esperando a su pareja: chicas con las piernas cruzadas, chicas con piernas preciosas, chicas con piernas horrorosas, chicas que parecían estupendas, y chicas que debían ser unas brujas si de verdad se las llegaba a conocer bien. Era un bonito panorama, pero no sé si me entenderán lo que quiero decir. Aunque por otra parte era también bastante deprimente porque uno no podía dejar de preguntarse qué sería de todas ellas. Me refiero a cuando salieran del colegio y la universidad. La mayoría se casarían con cretinos, tipos de esos que se pasan el día hablando de cuántos kilómetros pueden sacarle a un litro de gasolina, tipos que se enfadan como niños cuando pierden al golf o a algún juego tan estúpido como el ping-pong, tipos mala gente de verdad, tipos que en su vida han leído un libro, tipos aburridos..."

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Read TIME’s Original Review of <i>The Catcher in the Rye</i>

Read TIME’s Original Review of The Catcher in the Rye

W hen The Catcher in the Rye author J.D. Salinger died five years ago, on Jan. 27 of 2010, TIME’s remembrance of his life noted that he had long been “the hermit crab of American letters,” dissatisfied with his own fame and drawn to a reclusive life away from the spotlight.

In fact, when he was the subject of a lengthy cover story for TIME in 1961, shortly after the publication of Franny and Zooey , he had already begun to recede into seclusion. Though the story is rife with biographical details — his IQ score was 104; he “played a fair game of tennis”; he was literary editor of his school yearbook — it’s absent any comment from the man himself. The cover art too drawn from a photograph, not from life.

But his books, the story suggests, contain plenty of information about the man who wrote them. “For U.S. readers, the prize catch in The Catcher in the Rye may well be Novelist Salinger himself,” TIME’s original 1951 review of the book posited. “He can understand an adolescent mind without displaying one.”

That’s not all the critic had to say about the book. Here’s the full review:

THE CATCHER IN THE RYE (277 pp.)—J. D. Salinger—Little, Brown ($3).

“Some of my best friends are children,” says Jerome David Salinger, 32. “In fact, all of my best friends are children.” And Salinger has written short stories about his best friends with love, brilliance and 20-20 vision. In his tough-tender first novel, The Catcher in the Rye (a Book-of-the-Month Club midsummer choice), he charts the miseries and ecstasies of an adolescent rebel, and deals out some of the most acidly humorous deadpan satire since the late great Ring Lardner. Some Cheap Hotel. A lanky, crew-cut 16, well-born Holden Caulfield is sure all the world is out of step but him. His code is the survival of the flippest, and he talks a lingo as forthright and gamy, in its way, as a soldier’s. Flunking four subjects out of five, he has just been fired from his fourth school. Afraid to go home ahead of his bad news, he checks in at a cheap New York hotel; in the next 48 hours, he tries on a man-about-town role several sizes too large for him. Getting sickly drunk at a bar, he slithers away in a Walter Mitty mood, pretending: “Rocky’s mob got me … I kept putting my hand under my jacket, on my stomach and all, to keep the blood from dripping all over the place. I didn’t want anybody to know I was even wounded . . . Boy, was I drunk.” Some Crazy Cliff. When the seedy night elevator man proposes sending a young prostitute to his room, bravado makes him play along. Besides: “I worry about that stuff sometimes. I read this book once . . . that had this very sophisticated, suave, sexy guy in it . . . and all he did in his spare time was beat women off with a club … He said, in this one part, that a woman’s body is like a violin and all, and that it takes a terrific musician to play it right. It was a very corny book—I realize that—but I couldn’t get that violin stuff out of my mind anyway.” His enthusiasm for that kind of fiddling practice fades in hopeless embarrassment as soon as the tart snakes out of her dress. Scolded by testy cab drivers, seared by his best girl’s refusal to elope with him, and surrounded by an adult world of “phonies,” he loses control of his tight-lipped histrionics. He sneaks home for a midnight chat with his perky ten-year-old sister, breaks down and cries on her bed. In a moving moment, he tells her what he would really like to do and be: “I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody’s around—nobody big, I mean—except me. And I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff—I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all I’d do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it’s crazy . . .” For U.S. readers, the prize catch in The Catcher in the Rye may well be Novelist Salinger himself. He can understand an adolescent mind without displaying one.

Read the 1961 cover story about J.D. Salinger here in the TIME Vault: Sonny

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Book Review: The Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger

Author: J D Salinger

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Genre: Coming-of-age Fiction, Bildungsroman

First Publication: 1951

Language: English

Major Characters: Holden Caulfield, Robert Ackley, Stradlater, Phoebe Caulfield, Allie Caulfield, D.B Caulfield, Sally Hayes

Setting Place: Agerstown, Pennsylvania and Manhattan, New York in 1950

Theme: Phoniness, Alienation and Meltdown, Childhood and Growing Up, Madness, Depression, Suicide

Narrator: First-person through Holden Caulfield’s point of view

Book Summary: The Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger

Thrown out by his fourth school, Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of The Catcher in the Rye is a lazy, reclusive boy. The profanities used in the book best express his frustrated state of mind and from the way his parents live to his fake teachers to his roommate who scores with girls using sickly-sweet affection, no one is spared from it. After being fed up of the ‘phoniness’ of adulthood, Holden as a revolt heads to New York City.

The book describes his encounters with flirtatious middle-aged women, prostitutes, nuns, wayward taxi drivers, alcohol and drugs. Holden’s journey of self-discovery turns to a life full of debauchery but his sister Phoebe helps him recover from it. He narrates all these events to the readers as a flashback.

The teenage dilemma about the way life works, feelings of alienation and the struggle against the artificial world, everything is described meticulously in The Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger. The blunt, offensive language add more to the strong emotions of the protagonist.

Most novels are written to be enjoyable. I feel The Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger was written to be more thought-provoking than enjoyable. Its sole purpose is to put the world into a different perspective for the reader, or else support their perspective if they have a similar outlook as the protagonist Holden Caulfield. Anyone who goes through phases of detachment will relate to this book easily. Anyone who generally finds themselves content with the world we live in will not discern any value in this novel without being open-minded to the opinions of people who see the world from a less admirable point of view. I think that is the best explanation I can offer as to why some people really feel for this book and others don’t.

“What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn’t happen much, though.”

Sixteen year old Holden Caulfield has just been expelled from school for the umpteenth time. After leaving the school premises he travels straight to a nearby hostel where he plans to stay for a few days so that he is not at home when his parents receive the news of his expulsion. Living alone in the city for a couple of days leaves Holden to seek weird encounters with strangers and old friends. As well as wandering aimlessly around the city for days, Holden is contemplating the people who have left a mark on him so far in his life, while also pondering his loathing for superficial and pretentious things that people do for popularity and success. The young man is at a point where he is questioning the purpose and sincerity of everything to the extent where it is wearing his interest to participate in life.

The unreliable narrator is one of my favorite aspects of literature and Holden Caulfield takes the gold medal in this category. It’s also an excellent representation of what depression can do to a person–you feel loneliest when you’re around people, you don’t feel excited about anything, you self-sabotage, you ramble about feelings you can’t articulate.

“The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.”

I think why The Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger has been so successful over the past several decades is because of its interesting depiction of issues that only concern us as we get older. I feel like this book was ahead of its time, as it swerved from traditional themes and methods of storytelling, giving it a modernist air and therefore contributing to its success for being alternative. As for the controversy, that may be due to its underlying message that cynicism holds more truth than optimism.

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The catcher in the rye, by j d salinger, recommendations from our site.

“This is the only book I read when I was a young adult. I believed it was cursed for me—it was the book I read directly before I had a breakdown. I thought that somehow reading the book had triggered my breakdown. I found Holden when I felt exactly the same as he did. When he was with his sister he wanted to be a child, but he was being thrust into this adult world. And he didn’t want to be. And that’s where so much of my anxiety came from too. I remember reading it. I’ve still got the same copy that I had then and there are little paragraphs and sentences that I’d ringed. With Holden I discovered that there were other people that felt the way I did. When I found out that it had been written so long ago, I found something comforting about that. Before I read this book, it felt to me, that I was alone and going through something unique and unknown. But apparently others, even in the far past had had the same experience. So I took from it that this was a rite of passage—this time was difficult for most people. It was a transformative book for me. And I love it for that. It explained things for me at a time when I couldn’t have explained them myself.” Read more...

The best books on Teenage Mental Health

Rae Earl , Memoirist

“I’m drawn mostly to books about boys of that age, and I think The Catcher in the Rye is unsurpassed. What I love about it is just how carefree this boy is about life. “ Read more...

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Chigozie Obioma , Literary Scholar

“It was such a relief from the other books I was reading at the time, which all had a quality of homework to them.” Read more...

Woody Allen on The Books that Inspired Him

Woody Allen , Film Director

“ Catcher in the Rye injected a fresh idiom into American literature. This happened several times in our literary history. Mark Twain in Huckleberry Finn and Ernest Hemingwayin The Sun Also Rises did the same – they brought the contemporary spoken language into literature. When Salinger invented Holden Caulfield he gave his voice such freshness and vibrancy. Salinger also almost invented the concept of teenage angst – Salinger’s was the first voice of the youthquake that transformed our society in the 50s, 60s and 70s.” Read more...

Essential New York Novels

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Nine stories by j d salinger, our most recommended books, middlemarch by george eliot, war and peace by leo tolstoy, beloved by toni morrison, jane eyre by charlotte brontë, great expectations by charles dickens, one hundred years of solitude by gabriel garcía márquez, translated by gregory rabassa.

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Table Of Contents

The Catcher in the Rye , novel by J.D. Salinger published in 1951. The novel details two days in the life of 16-year-old Holden Caulfield after he has been expelled from prep school . Confused and disillusioned , Holden searches for truth and rails against the “phoniness” of the adult world. He ends up exhausted and emotionally unstable. The events are related after the fact.

From what is implied to be a sanatorium, Holden, the narrator and protagonist, tells the story of his adventures before the previous Christmas. The story begins with Holden at Pencey Prep School on his way to the house of his history teacher, Spencer, so that he can say goodbye. He reveals to the reader that he has been expelled for failing most of his classes. After he visits Spencer, he encounters his roommate, Ward Stradlater, who asks Holden to write an essay for English class for him while he goes on a date with a longtime friend of Holden’s. Having agreed, Holden writes about the baseball glove of his younger brother, Allie, who died of leukemia . When Stradlater returns, he tells Holden that the essay isn’t good, and Holden gets angry when Stradlater refuses to say whether he had sex with his date. This causes Holden to storm out and leave Pencey for New York City a few days earlier than planned for Christmas break. Once he arrives in New York , he cannot go home, as his parents do not yet know that he has been expelled. Instead, he rents a room at the Edmont Hotel, where he witnesses some sexually charged scenes through the windows of other rooms. His loneliness then causes him to seek out human interaction, which he does at the Lavender Room, the hotel’s nightclub. After interacting with some women there, he goes to another nightclub, only to leave after seeing his elder brother’s ex-girlfriend. When he gets back to the hotel, he orders a prostitute to his room, only to talk to her. This situation ends in him being punched in the stomach.

Portrait of young thinking bearded man student with stack of books on the table before bookshelves in the library

The next morning, Holden calls Sally Hayes, an ex-girlfriend of his. They spend the day together until Holden makes a rude remark and she leaves crying. Holden then meets up with a former schoolmate, Carl Luce, at a bar, but Luce leaves early because he becomes annoyed by Holden’s immature comments. Holden stays behind and gets drunk by himself. After he leaves, he wanders in Central Park until the cold drives him to his family’s apartment. He sneaks in, still not prepared to face his parents, and finds his 10-year-old sister, Phoebe. She is upset when she hears that Holden has failed out and accuses him of not liking anything. It is at this time that Holden describes to his sister his fantasy of being “the catcher in the rye,” which was inspired by a song he heard a little boy singing: “If a body catch a body comin’ through the rye.” Phoebe tells him that the words are “If a body meet a body coming through the rye,” from a poem by Robert Burns . (Burns’s poem, “Comin thro’ the Rye,” exists in several versions, but most render the lines as “Gin a body meet a body / Comin thro’ the rye.”) Soon they hear their parents come home after a night out, and Holden sneaks away. He calls his former English teacher, Mr. Antolini, who tells Holden he can come stay at his apartment. Holden falls asleep on Antolini’s couch and awakes to Antolini stroking his forehead, which Holden interprets as a sexual advance. He immediately excuses himself and heads to Grand Central Station , where he spends the rest of the night. When he awakes, he goes to Phoebe’s school and leaves a note telling her that he plans to run away and asking her to meet him at a museum during lunch. She arrives with a packed bag and insists on going with him. He tells her no and instead takes her to the zoo, where he watches her ride the carousel in the pouring rain. This is where the flashback ends. The novel closes with Holden explaining that he has fallen “sick” but is expected to go to a new school in the fall.

The Catcher in the Rye takes the loss of innocence as its primary concern. Holden wants to be the “catcher in the rye”—someone who saves children from falling off a cliff, which can be understood as a metaphor for entering adulthood. As Holden watches Phoebe on the carousel, engaging in childlike behaviour, he is so overcome with happiness that he is, as he puts it, “damn near bawling.” By taking her to the zoo, he allows her to maintain her childlike state, thus being a successful “catcher in the rye.” During this time, however, watching her and the other children on the carousel, he has also come to accept that he cannot save everyone: “If they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off.”

Holden’s name is also significant: Holden can be read as “hold on,” and Caulfield can be separated into caul and field . Holden’s desire is to “hold on” to the protective covering (the caul ) that encloses the field of innocence (the same field he wishes to keep the children from leaving). Holden desperately wants to remain true and innocent in a world full of, as he puts it, “phonies.” Salinger once admitted in an interview that the novel was semi-autobiographical.

The Caulfield family was one Salinger had already explored in a number of stories that had been published by different magazines. Holden appeared in some of those stories, even narrating one, but he was not as richly fleshed out in them as he would be in The Catcher in the Rye . The novel, unlike the other stories of the Caulfield family, had difficulties getting published. Originally solicited by Harcourt, Brace and Company, the manuscript was rejected after the head of the trade division asked whether Holden was supposed to be crazy. It was then that Salinger’s agent, Dorothy Olding, approached Little, Brown and Company, which published the novel in 1951. After Little, Brown bought the manuscript, Salinger showed it to The New Yorker , assuming that the magazine, which had published several of his short stories, would want to print excerpts from the novel. The New Yorker rejected it, however, as the editors found the Caulfield children too precocious to be plausible and Salinger’s writing style exhibitionistic.

The Catcher in the Rye ’s reception was lukewarm at first. Many critics were impressed by Holden as a character and, specifically, by his style of narration. Salinger was able to create a character whose relatability stemmed from his unreliability—something that resonated with many readers. Others, however, felt that the novel was amateur and unnecessarily coarse.

After publishing The Catcher in the Rye , Salinger became a recluse. When asked for the rights to adapt it for Broadway or Hollywood , he emphatically declined. Despite Holden’s never having appeared in any form subsequent to that in Salinger’s novel, the character has had a long-lasting influence, reaching millions of readers, including two particularly notorious ones. In 1980 Mark David Chapman identified so wholly with Holden that he became convinced that murdering John Lennon would turn him into the novel’s protagonist. The Catcher in the Rye was also linked to John W. Hinckley, Jr. ’s attempted assassination of U.S. Pres. Ronald Reagan in 1981. The novel remained influential into the 21st century; indeed, many American high schools included it in their curriculum. The novel has been banned numerous times because of its salty language and sexual content.

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THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

by J.D. Salinger ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 15, 1951

A strict report, worthy of sympathy.

A violent surfacing of adolescence (which has little in common with Tarkington's earlier, broadly comic, Seventeen ) has a compulsive impact.

"Nobody big except me" is the dream world of Holden Caulfield and his first person story is down to the basic, drab English of the pre-collegiate. For Holden is now being bounced from fancy prep, and, after a vicious evening with hall- and roommates, heads for New York to try to keep his latest failure from his parents. He tries to have a wild evening (all he does is pay the check), is terrorized by the hotel elevator man and his on-call whore, has a date with a girl he likes—and hates, sees his 10 year old sister, Phoebe. He also visits a sympathetic English teacher after trying on a drunken session, and when he keeps his date with Phoebe, who turns up with her suitcase to join him on his flight, he heads home to a hospital siege. This is tender and true, and impossible, in its picture of the old hells of young boys, the lonesomeness and tentative attempts to be mature and secure, the awful block between youth and being grown-up, the fright and sickness that humans and their behavior cause the challenging, the dramatization of the big bang. It is a sorry little worm's view of the off-beat of adult pressure, of contemporary strictures and conformity, of sentiment….

Pub Date: June 15, 1951

ISBN: 0316769177

Page Count: -

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1951

GENERAL FICTION

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A LITTLE LIFE

by Hanya Yanagihara ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 10, 2015

The phrase “tour de force” could have been invented for this audacious novel.

Four men who meet as college roommates move to New York and spend the next three decades gaining renown in their professions—as an architect, painter, actor and lawyer—and struggling with demons in their intertwined personal lives.

Yanagihara ( The People in the Trees , 2013) takes the still-bold leap of writing about characters who don’t share her background; in addition to being male, JB is African-American, Malcolm has a black father and white mother, Willem is white, and “Jude’s race was undetermined”—deserted at birth, he was raised in a monastery and had an unspeakably traumatic childhood that’s revealed slowly over the course of the book. Two of them are gay, one straight and one bisexual. There isn’t a single significant female character, and for a long novel, there isn’t much plot. There aren’t even many markers of what’s happening in the outside world; Jude moves to a loft in SoHo as a young man, but we don’t see the neighborhood change from gritty artists’ enclave to glitzy tourist destination. What we get instead is an intensely interior look at the friends’ psyches and relationships, and it’s utterly enthralling. The four men think about work and creativity and success and failure; they cook for each other, compete with each other and jostle for each other’s affection. JB bases his entire artistic career on painting portraits of his friends, while Malcolm takes care of them by designing their apartments and houses. When Jude, as an adult, is adopted by his favorite Harvard law professor, his friends join him for Thanksgiving in Cambridge every year. And when Willem becomes a movie star, they all bask in his glow. Eventually, the tone darkens and the story narrows to focus on Jude as the pain of his past cuts deep into his carefully constructed life.

Pub Date: March 10, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-385-53925-8

Page Count: 720

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015

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PERSPECTIVES

by Kristin Hannah ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2006

Wacky plot keeps the pages turning and enduring schmaltzy romantic sequences.

Sisters work together to solve a child-abandonment case.

Ellie and Julia Cates have never been close. Julia is shy and brainy; Ellie gets by on charm and looks. Their differences must be tossed aside when a traumatized young girl wanders in from the forest into their hometown in Washington. The sisters’ professional skills are put to the test. Julia is a world-renowned child psychologist who has lost her edge. She is reeling from a case that went publicly sour. Though she was cleared of all wrongdoing, Julia’s name was tarnished, forcing her to shutter her Beverly Hills practice. Ellie Barton is the local police chief in Rain Valley, who’s never faced a tougher case. This is her chance to prove she is more than just a fading homecoming queen, but a scarcity of clues and a reluctant victim make locating the girl’s parents nearly impossible. Ellie places an SOS call to her sister; she needs an expert to rehabilitate this wild-child who has been living outside of civilization for years. Confronted with her professional demons, Julia once again has the opportunity to display her talents and salvage her reputation. Hannah ( The Things We Do for Love, 2004, etc.) is at her best when writing from the girl’s perspective. The feral wolf-child keeps the reader interested long after the other, transparent characters have grown tiresome. Hannah’s torturously over-written romance passages are stale, but there are surprises in store as the sisters set about unearthing Alice’s past and creating a home for her.

Pub Date: March 1, 2006

ISBN: 0-345-46752-3

Page Count: 400

Publisher: Ballantine

Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2005

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by Kristin Hannah

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The Catcher In The Rye by JD. Salinger – A detailed summary and review

a winter scene in New York City during the 1950s, with a teenage Holden Caulfield wandering the snowy streets alone

11 Mar The Catcher In The Rye by JD. Salinger – A detailed summary and review

The catcher in the rye: j.d. salinger’s iconic coming-of-age novel, introduction.

The Catcher in the Rye , J.D. Salinger’s iconic coming-of-age novel, has captivated readers for generations with its raw, honest portrayal of teenage angst and alienation. Published in 1951, the book follows Holden Caulfield, a disillusioned 16-year-old, as he navigates the complexities of growing up and grapples with the “phoniness” of the adult world. Salinger’s masterful use of first-person narration and colloquial language brings Holden’s unique voice and perspective to life, creating an unforgettable and deeply relatable character.

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Plot Summary

The story takes place over a few days in December, as Holden Caulfield leaves his prep school, Pencey, after being expelled for failing classes. Instead of going straight home to his parents in New York City, Holden decides to spend a few days on his own, wandering the city streets, reflecting on his life, and interacting with various people, including nuns, a prostitute, and former teachers. Throughout his journey, Holden struggles with the loss of innocence, his fear of growing up, and his desire to protect the innocence of others, particularly his younger sister, Phoebe.

Holden Caulfield: The protagonist and narrator, Holden is a 16-year-old boy who feels alienated from the world around him. He is sensitive, intelligent, and deeply troubled by the “phoniness” he perceives in society.
Phoebe Caulfield: Holden’s younger sister, whom he adores and sees as a symbol of innocence and authenticity. Phoebe is wise beyond her years and serves as a grounding force for Holden.
Mr. Antolini: Holden’s former English teacher, who offers him guidance and a place to stay. Mr. Antolini’s actions towards Holden are ambiguous, leaving readers to question his true intentions.

Other notable characters include Holden’s roommate Stradlater, his classmate Ackley, and Jane Gallagher, a girl he has fond memories of but never contacts.

Salinger’s authentic and distinctive narrative voice captures the essence of teenage angst and alienation.
The novel explores universal themes of growing up, loss of innocence, and the search for identity and belonging.
Holden Caulfield is a complex and memorable character whose struggles resonate with readers across generations.

Weaknesses:

Some readers may find Holden’s repetitive language and pessimistic outlook grating or tiresome.
The plot is relatively loose and episodic, which may not appeal to readers who prefer more structured narratives.

Literary Devices and Techniques:

First-person narration
Stream of consciousness
Colloquial language and slang
Symbolism (e.g., the red hunting hat, the ducks in Central Park)

Themes and Motifs

Loss of innocence and the challenges of growing up
Alienation and the search for authentic human connection
The “phoniness” of adult society and the struggle to find one’s place in the world
Mental health, depression, and the aftermath of trauma
The importance of family, particularly the sibling bond between Holden and Phoebe

Writing Style and Tone

Salinger’s writing style in The Catcher in the Rye is characterized by its distinctive, colloquial tone and Holden Caulfield’s unique voice. The novel is written in a casual, conversational manner, as if Holden is directly addressing the reader. This style creates an intimate and authentic reading experience, allowing readers to connect deeply with Holden’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

Salinger employs a variety of slang terms, repetition, and digressive passages to capture the essence of teenage speech patterns and thought processes. Holden’s frequent use of words like “phony,” “goddam,” and “hell” underscores his cynicism and frustration with the world around him. The raw, unfiltered quality of the narration adds to the novel’s sense of realism and emotional impact.

Despite the seemingly casual nature of the writing, Salinger’s prose is carefully crafted to convey Holden’s complex inner world and the themes of the novel. The tone shifts between humor, sarcasm, and deep introspection, reflecting Holden’s emotional state and his struggle to make sense of his experiences.

Evaluation and Conclusion

The Catcher in the Rye is a groundbreaking novel that captures the essence of teenage disillusionment and the universal struggle to find one’s place in the world. Salinger’s masterful portrayal of Holden Caulfield’s inner world and his authentic narrative voice make this book a timeless classic that continues to resonate with readers of all ages.

While some readers may find Holden’s pessimism and repetitive language grating, these elements are essential to understanding his character and the themes of the novel. The Catcher in the Rye is a must-read for anyone interested in coming-of-age stories, mid-20th century American literature, or the complexities of the human experience.

Favorite Quotes

“What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn’t happen much, though.”
“I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff—I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all I’d do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all.”
“The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.”
“Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.”
“I can’t explain what I mean. And even if I could, I’m not sure I’d feel like it.”
Is The Catcher in the Rye autobiographical? While the novel is not strictly autobiographical, Salinger drew upon many of his own experiences and emotions when writing the book. Like Holden, Salinger attended prep schools and struggled to find his place in society.
Why was The Catcher in the Rye controversial? The novel has been controversial due to its frank discussions of sexuality, its use of profanity, and its critical view of American society. Some readers also found Holden’s character and opinions to be offensive or inappropriate for certain age groups.
What does the title “The Catcher in the Rye” mean? The title refers to Holden’s misinterpretation of a line from the Robert Burns poem “Comin’ Thro’ the Rye.” Holden envisions himself as a “catcher in the rye,” someone who protects children from falling off a cliff at the edge of a rye field, symbolizing his desire to preserve innocence.
Is The Catcher in the Rye still relevant today? Yes, the novel’s themes of teenage alienation, the struggle to find one’s identity, and the complexities of growing up are timeless and continue to resonate with readers today.
Why did Salinger never allow a film adaptation of the novel? Salinger was very protective of his work and believed that a film adaptation would not do justice to the novel’s unique voice and introspective nature. He also valued his privacy and did not want the added attention a film would bring.

The Significance of the Title “The Catcher in the Rye”

The title “The Catcher in the Rye” is highly symbolic and represents the main themes and struggles of the novel’s protagonist, Holden Caulfield. Here are the key points about the significance of the title:

It comes from Holden’s misinterpretation of the Robert Burns poem “Comin’ Thro the Rye.” Holden hears a boy on the street singing the line “If a body catch a body comin’ through the rye” and imagines it refers to catching children playing in a field of rye before they fall off a cliff.
This represents Holden’s desire to preserve the innocence of childhood and protect children from the dangers and phoniness of the adult world. He wants to be the “catcher in the rye” who saves children from falling from grace.
However, Holden has it wrong – the actual line is “If a body meet a body coming through the rye”, referring to a casual sexual encounter. This shows how Holden misunderstands adulthood and confuses innocence and experience.
There is an irony that the song which inspires Holden’s fantasy actually has the opposite meaning – that casual sex is okay. Holden is uncomfortable with sex and sees it as degrading innocence.
Holden’s wish to be the “catcher in the rye” protecting children is impossible, just like his idealized separation of childhood and adulthood is flawed. It represents his struggles with growing up and his realization that he can’t save everyone.

In summary, the title encapsulates Holden’s naive dream of shielding children from adulthood, his misinterpretations about innocence and experience, and the impossibility of stopping the inevitable loss of innocence that comes with growing up. It is a poignant symbol for the central themes of the novel.

Other Reviews

“A classic account of adolescent alienation.” – The Guardian (4/5 stars)
“The Catcher in the Rye is a 1951 novel by J. D. Salinger. It was originally intended for adults but is often read by adolescents for its themes of angst and alienation, and as a critique on superficiality in society.” – Wikipedia
“The Catcher in the Rye is a novel by J. D. Salinger, partially published in serial form in 1945–1946 and as a novel in 1951. It was originally intended for adults but is often read by adolescents for its themes of angst, alienation, and as a critique on superficiality in society.” – Goodreads (3.8/5 stars)

Spoilers/How Does It End

At the end of the novel, Holden decides to leave New York City and hitchhike west. However, when he goes to say goodbye to his sister Phoebe, she insists on going with him. Holden realizes he cannot run away from his problems and decides to stay. The novel concludes with Holden watching Phoebe ride the carousel in Central Park, reflecting on the inevitability of growing up and the importance of cherishing moments of innocence and joy.

Throughout the novel, Holden’s mental state deteriorates as he struggles with depression, loneliness, and the aftermath of his brother Allie’s death. The final chapters suggest that Holden has been telling his story from a mental health facility, implying that he has sought help for his emotional issues. While the ending is somewhat ambiguous, it offers a glimmer of hope that Holden may find a way to move forward and come to terms with the complexities of life.

About the Author

J.D. Salinger (1919-2010) was an American writer best known for his novel The Catcher in the Rye . Born in New York City, Salinger attended several prep schools before briefly studying at New York University and Columbia University. He began writing short stories in the early 1940s and served in the U.S. Army during World War II, participating in the Normandy landings and the Battle of the Bulge.

Salinger published several short stories in literary magazines before the release of The Catcher in the Rye in 1951. The novel’s success broughthim unwanted attention, and he became increasingly reclusive, publishing less frequently in the following decades. His other notable works include the short story collection Nine Stories (1953) and the novella Franny and Zooey (1961).

Salinger’s writing is characterized by its distinctive voice, exploration of themes such as innocence, alienation, and spirituality, and its critique of American society. His work has had a lasting influence on American literature and continues to resonate with readers worldwide.

Publication History and Reception

The Catcher in the Rye was first published in 1951 by Little, Brown and Company. Prior to its publication, several chapters of the novel appeared in The New Yorker and Collier’s Magazine between 1945 and 1946.

Upon its release, the novel received mixed reviews. Some critics praised Salinger’s distinctive writing style and his honest portrayal of teenage angst, while others found the book controversial due to its frank discussion of sexuality and its use of profanity. Despite the mixed reception, the novel quickly became a bestseller and has since sold over 65 million copies worldwide.

The Catcher in the Rye has been translated into numerous languages and is widely read in high school and college literature courses. Its enduring popularity has led to its inclusion on many lists of the best novels of the 20th century.

The novel has faced censorship and bans due to its content, particularly in schools and libraries. However, it remains a staple of American literature and continues to inspire new generations of readers.

Bibliographic Information

Title: The Catcher in the Rye
Author: J.D. Salinger
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: July 16, 1951
ISBN: 978-0316769488
Page Count: 234 pages

Where to Buy

You can purchase The Catcher in the Rye from Bookshop.org using this affiliate link: https://bookshop.org/a/1289/9780316769488

Review: The Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger

I happened across Catcher in the Rye at my Uncle’s house in Yorkshire in November 2010. I picked three or four books up by Daphne Du Maurier and then decided to add an extra tome to pile for good measure. Its name was familiar due to J. D. Salinger’s death earlier in the year and the book’s place in the Top 100 BBC Reads. I like nothing better than curling up with a good book on a long train journey and so I saved it for my trip back to Reading from York, and two-and-a-half hours later I was both nearing the end absolutely enthralled with this often banned book of teenage angst and woe.

There is nothing spectacular about this book; there is no epic plot like in Gone with the Wind, no sinister undertones so associated with Rebecca. It is a mere two hundred-or-so pages long. Despite all this, however, it’s without question one of the best and most gripping books I’ve ever read. The protagonist, despite his crude language, is amiable and charming and the book leaves you wanting to follow him through more of his escapades on his journey through adolescence. There is much controversy surrounding Catcher in the Rye; indeed Mark Chapman, convicted of John Lennon’s assassination, had the book on him at the time of the murder and was said to be ‘obsessed’ with the text. A teacher in America was also sacked for using it in a literature syllabus. However, fifty years on from its original publication, the frequent use of “goddamn” and “motherfucker” – which cause much outcry at the time, would, I imagine, have little affect on today’s reader. That it was banned and censored a number of times in its history perhapds only added to the notoriety and fame so associated with J. D. Salinger’s best loved book.

Coming from someone whose favourite writers, prior to working my way through the BBC Top 100, have tended to be women, I can now say that JD Salinger is up there with the best of them. Catcher in the Rye is an absolutely captivating book.

About Catcher in the Rye

J.D. Salinger’s classic novel of teenage angst and rebellion was first published in 1951. The novel was included on Time ‘s 2005 list of the 100 best English-language novels written since 1923. It was named by Modern Library and its readers as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. It has been frequently challenged in the court for its liberal use of profanity and portrayal of sexuality and in the 1950’s and 60’s it was the novel that every teenage boy wants to read.

About J. D. Salinger

J D Salinger was born in 1919. He grew up in New York City, and wrote short stories from an early age, but his breakthrough came in 1948 with the publication in The New Yorker of ‘A Perfect Day for Bananafish’. The Catcher in the Rye was his first and only novel, published in 1951. It remains one of the most translated, taught and reprinted texts, and has sold some 65 million copies. It was followed by three other books of short stories and novellas, the most recent of which was published in 1963. He lived in Cornish, New Hampshire up until his death in 2010.

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Review of Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

April 21, 2018 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

This was a book a remember starting to read in school but for some reason never finished it. I figured that it probably was a boring, overly wordy classic like many of the others that come to mind. But boy, was I wrong!

The story follows and is narrated by 17-year-old Holden Caufield how has just been expelled a few days before Christmas break from yet another boarding school, this time, Pency Prep for poor grades.

Given that his parents won’t receive the letter for several days yet, Holden decides to lay low for a few days before heading home to face their wrath. Now Holden is kind of a misanthrope – at times he seems to be disgusted by humanity while at other times, he’s fascinated by it.

Holden shares with us his encounters with teachers and fellow students of Pency, and in so doing, he definitely doesn’t hide his dislike of people who are fakes and pretenders, or, as he would say, phonies, which in a way makes him seem older and more mature than his age.

So after an altercation with his roommate, Holden packs up and leaves the school in the middle of the night, and with money in his pocket, takes a train to New York and checks into a somewhat sleazy hotel. Holden then tells us what he did during his last day at Pency and the few days following his departure.

Through his first-person narrative, we learn about his oldest brother D.B. who’s living in California, his younger brother Allie who died when Holden was thirteen, and his little sister Phoebe. It’s funny that he hardly even mentions his parents — but perhaps in not mentioning them, he is actually saying something very important about his relationship with them.

What I Liked

This is the perfect example of voice in writing — it felt like I was hearing these words right from the mouth of Holden and I have to say that reading this book brought out my inner fifteen-year-old. There were certain parts of the book where I caught myself laughing out loud hysterically at his running commentary, his exaggerations and hyperbole, and his unique insights about the world, all peppered by his use of colorful language.

I just thought his descriptions and comments were so rich but they were also quite interesting and captivating.

I know there are plenty of people who hate his character and personally, I don’t get it. Maybe it’s just that I found his juvenile humor and his candor refreshing — and really, really funny. I love Holden Caulfield’s personality and how straight to the point he is, often shockingly so. Yes, he’s blunt, pessimistic and a tad crass but some of what he says is actually quite wise.

Now I will say that if you’re offended by the word “goddam” (his spelling, not mine) then this book definitely is not for you because, probably second only to “bastard”, this was one of Holden’s favorite words.

It also tickled me to no end how he was always putting on his crazy red hunting hat and asking everyone where the all ducks went when the lake froze in the winter. I thought his red hat was a wonderful reflection of his offbeat and unique personality.

Though some people might find Holden to be spoiled and more than a bit affected, I think more than anything else he’s misunderstood, especially by the authority figures in his life. It’s clear that he’s not only disappointed by the world around him, but he may be possibly depressed as he begins to see what the world is really like. Trying to understand Holden Caulfield is no easy task.

He has recently lost a brother and appears to be disillusioned — if not let down by the people who are supposed to be role models. He’s desperately trying to find his way in the world and is often confused by his own ever-changing feelings, sometimes hating his friends one second and then loving them a few moments later. In fact, he once asked himself “What am I, a madman?”

Given that he’s at that awkward stage between childhood and adulthood, he’s also ambivalent about his sexual feelings, perhaps fearing that partaking of that act would thrust him into an adulthood that he’s not ready for.

Feeling more and more alienated and lonely, he calls up old friends in an attempt to find someone who makes him feel, as he describes it, “not so depressed”. Ultimately, however, every one he contacts let him down in one way or another.

Now he’s a spoiler, so if you haven’t read the book, you may wish to stop here or scroll down to the “Final Verdict” section.

Okay, you’ve been warned.

At some point — I can’t pinpoint exactly when — the tone of the book turns from lighthearted and humorous, to more and more serious as Holden’s emotional state begins to unravel. At some point, I felt like I was reading the story of a boy who was in the process of going through a nervous breakdown.

And I think I was right. At the end of the book, Holden mentions how he got sick after he went home, and how “this one psychoanalyst guy keeps asking me if I’m going to apply myself in September.” He also says, “I could probably tell you…what school I’m supposed to go to next fall after I get out of here” which certainly indicates that he was institutionalized at the end of the story, but whether he’s referring to a mental institution or a hospital we can only guess.

I personally suspect that his grief over his brother’s passing and the reaction of his family surrounding that event may have had a serious impact on him. Of course, that’s just my speculation.

What I Didn’t Like

To be truthful, I can’t think of a single thing I didn’t like. Oh sure, I could get on my high horse and say that I found the cursing utterly offensive. But that would be a big ass lie. On the contrary, I found it to be a brilliant part of Holden’s character and its usage added to the story, rather than taking away from it. But again, if cursing offends you, then this may not be the book for you.

The only thing I disliked was that the novel was too short — I wanted more.

Final Verdict

I think that one of the reasons this book may be a classic is that it’s timeless. Though it was written in 1951, it feels fresh, as though it could have been written yesterday and in it, I feel Salinger expertly captures the mind and essence of a teenage boy, whether it be one in 1951 or 2018. The prose was beautiful and left me wanting more.

In summary, I loved, loved, loved this book and in my opinion, it’s a masterpiece. I don’t know why it took me so long to read it.

Holden was so real to me in all of his crassness, his jumbled meanderings, his random musings, his digressions, his improper grammar, his obsessive need to lie about everything (especially his name) and his general confusion about life.

I was so sad to see this book end and in leaving Holden, felt as though I were saying goodbye to a dear friend. Yes, I will definitely be rereading this one, probably several more times. This was truly a fun book to read, and I gave it 5 stars.

You can check out The Catcher in The Rye here at Amazon or at The Book Depository .

This was transcribed from a video review on my YouTube channel “Roger’s Reads”.

Reader Interactions

News, Notes, Talk

Read the very first reviews of The Catcher in the Rye .

Seventy-two years ago this week, The Catcher in the Rye first hit bookshelves across the US, and people still have some pretty strong opinions about J. D. Salinger’s groundbreaking debut. Die-hard fans and rabid haters are legion. Indeed, of all the mid-century American novels to stand the test of time, perhaps only On the Road provokes a comparably polarizing response among contemporary readers. Many argue that Catcher remains the quintessential story of teenage angst and alienation, as resonant and formative a text for today’s youth as it was in the 1950s; while no small amount of others, still pissed at being forced to write 11th grade English papers on the motivations of its, em, singular protagonist, resent the book’s exalted status as a foundation text in the modern American canon and staple of high school syllabi countrywide.

Love it or hate it, though, The Catcher in the Rye has endured (it still sells about a million copies a year, bringing its grand total to somewhere in the region of 75 million), and we felt that this auspicious publication anniversary merited some manner of retrospective.

So, here it is: a load of phonies from The New York Times , TIME, The New Yorker , and elsewhere writing about their impressions of Holden Caulfield and his New York odyssey way back in 1951.

“I was surrounded by phonies…They were coming in the goddam window.”

“This girl Helga, she kills me. She reads just about everything I bring into the house, and a lot of crumby stuff besides. She’s crazy about kids. I mean stories about kids. But Hel, she says there’s hardly a writer alive can write about children. Only these English guys Richard Hughes and Walter de la Mare, she says. The rest is all corny. It depresses her. That’s another thing. She can sniff a corny guy or a phony book quick as a dog smells a rat. This phoniness, it gives old Hel a pain if you want to know the truth. That’s why she came hollering to me one day, her hair falling over her face and all, and said I had to read some damn story in The New Yorker . Who’s the author? I said. Salinger, She told me, J. D. Salinger. Who’s he? I asked. How should I know, she said, just you read it.

“That’s the way it sounds to me, Hel said, and away she went with this crazy book. The Catcher in the Rye . What did I tell ya, she said next day. This Salinger, he’s a short story guy. And he knows how to write about kids. This book though, it’s too long. Gets kind of monotonous. And he should’ve cut out a lot about these jerks and all at that crumby school. They depress me . They really do. Salinger, he’s best with real children. I mean young ones like old Phoebe, his kid sister. She’s a personality. Holden and little old Phoeb, Hel said, they kill me. This last part about her and Holden and this Mr. Antolini, the only guy Holden ever thought he could trust, who ever took any interest in him, and who turned out queer—that’s terrific. I swear it is.

You needn’t swear, Hel, I said. Know what? This Holden, he’s just like you. He finds the whole world’s full of people say one thing and mean another and he doesn’t like it; and he hates movies and phony slobs and snobs and crumby books and war. Boy, how he hates war. Just like you, Hel, I said. But old Hel, she was already reading this crazy Catcher book all over again. That’s always a good sign with Hel.”

– James Stern, The New York Times , July 15, 1951

“ ‘Some of my best friends are children,’ says Jerome David Salinger, 32. ‘In fact, all of my best friends are children.’ And Salinger has written short stories about his best friends with love, brilliance and 20-20 vision. In his tough-tender first novel, The Catcher in the Rye (a Book-of-the-Month Club midsummer choice), he charts the miseries and ecstasies of an adolescent rebel, and deals out some of the most acidly humorous deadpan satire since the late great Ring Lardner.

“For U.S. readers, the prize catch in The Catcher in the Rye may well be Novelist Salinger himself. He can understand an adolescent mind without displaying one .”

– TIME, July 16, 1951

“ Holden’s story is told in Holden’s own strange, wonderful language by J. D. Salinger in an unusually brilliant novel … Holden is bewildered, lonely, ludicrous and pitiful. His troubles, his failings are not of his own making but of a world that is out of joint. There is nothing wrong with him that a little understanding and affection, preferably from his parents, couldn’t have set right. Though confused and unsure of himself, like most 16-year-olds, he is observant and perceptive and filled with a certain wisdom. His minor delinquencies seem minor indeed when contrasted with adult delinquencies with which he is confronted.

Mr. Salinger, whose work has appeared in The New Yorker and elsewhere, tells a story well, in this case under the special difficulties of casting it in the form of Holden’s first-person narrative. This was a perilous undertaking, but one that has been successfully achieved. Mr. Salinger’s rendering of teen-age speech is wonderful: the unconscious humor, the repetitions, the slang and profanity, the emphasis, all are just right. Holden’s mercurial changes of mood, his stubborn refusal to admit his own sensitiveness and emotions, his cheerful disregard of what is sometimes known as reality are typically and heart breakingly adolescent.”

– Nash K. Burger, The New York Times , July 16, 1951

“The book as a whole is disappointing, and not merely because it is a reworking of a theme that one begins to suspect must obsess the author. Holden Caulfield, the main character who tells his own story, is an extraordinary portrait, but there is too much of him…

In the course of 277 pages, the reader wearies of [his] explicitness, repetition and adolesence, exactly as one would weary of Holden himself . And this reader at least suffered from an irritated feeling that Holden was not quite so sensitive and perceptive as he, and his creator, thought he was. In any case he is so completely self-centered that the other characters who wander through the book—with the notable exception of his sister Phoebe—have nothing like his authenticity … In a writer of Salinger’s undeniable talent, one expects something more.”

– Anne L. Goodman, The New Republic , 1951

“ A young man possessed of a young man’s vigor and callowness and an old man’s jaundiced eye rip-snorts his way through this raucous novel and by turns delights, frightens, shocks you and leaves you close to the tears into which he himself bursts as the climax to his mad escapade.

“He tells the story himself; tough and tender, frown and smile, bitter and sweet. It’s a sort of lost week end; it’s a boy who can’t go home again; he belongs to a lost generation and lives in a world he never made. It reminds us of significant conclusions reached by other writers in our time. But besides that, and despite your hoots of laughter at Holden’s indomitable speech, this is in essence the tragic story of a problem child, unless indeed it’s an indictment of a problem world. Month in, month out, novels don’t come much better.”

– The Associated Press , July 29, 1951

“Mr. Salinger’s brilliant, funny, meaningful novel is written in the first person. Holden Caulfield is made to tell his own story, in his own strange idiom. Holden is not a normal boy. He is hypersensitive and hyper-imaginative (perhaps these are synonymous). He is double-minded. He is inexorably self-critical; at various times, he refers to himself as yellow, as a terrible liar, a madman, a moron.

“The literalness and innocence of Holden’s point of view in the face of the tremendously complicated and often depraved facts of life make for the humor of this novel: serious haggles with belligerent taxi-drivers; abortive conversational attempts with a laconic prostitute in a hurry; an ‘intellectual’ discussion with a pompous and phony intellectual only a few years older than himself; an expedition with Sally Hayes, which is one of the funniest expeditions, surely, in the history of juvenilia. Holden’s contacts with the outside world are generally extremely funny. It is his self-communings that are tragic and touching—a dark whirlpool churning fiercely below the unflagging hilarity of his surface activities .”

– S. N. Behrman, The New Yorker , August 11, 1951

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The Catcher in the Rye

J. D. Salinger | 4.00 | 3,548,252 ratings and reviews

Ranked #2 in Banned , Ranked #3 in Coming Of Age — see more rankings .

Reviews and Recommendations

We've comprehensively compiled reviews of The Catcher in the Rye from the world's leading experts.

Bill Gates CEO/Microsoft One of my favorite books ever. (Source)

Ev Williams Co-Founder/Twitter, CEO/Medium Recommends this book

Woody Allen Film Director It was such a relief from the other books I was reading at the time, which all had a quality of homework to them. (Source)

Santiago Basulto There are many more that I should name, and they all meant something special. The catcher in the Rye, Mark Twain’s classics, Sherlock Holmes, etc. I read a lot and I usually associate books with personal events and that particular time in my life, so they have an important meaning. (Source)

Cory Zue Likewise on the non-business side, I feel that what books will resonate with you is so dependent on where you are in life that it’s impossible to declare a favorite. In high school my favorite book was probably Ender’s Game or Catcher in the Rye, in college I went through an Ayn Rand phase and might have said the Fountainhead. (Source)

Audrey Russo So many novels; Lord of the Flies, Great Gatsby, Great Expectations; all the Nancy Drew books; Catcher in the Rye, Books written by Zora Neale Hurston; Pat Conroy – all because of the view about different people who endure despite adversity while kindling the hearts of the human spirit. (Source)

Jessica Lauria It explores great characters during a special time in New York history. I love walking around New York and thinking about how it has evolved and changed over the decades, yet so much of its authenticity remains. (Source)

Rae Earl With Holden I discovered that there were other people that felt the way I did (Source)

Chigozie Obioma He sees everybody as phony because they take life too seriously. (Source)

Jay McInerney Salinger almost invented the concept of teenage angst – his was the first voice of the youthquake that transformed our society in the 50s, 60s and 70s. (Source)

Rankings by Category

The Catcher in the Rye is ranked in the following categories:

#7 in 10th Grade
#8 in 11th Grade
#46 in 13-Year-Old
#18 in 14-Year-Old
#7 in 15-Year-Old
#8 in 16-Year-Old
#7 in 20th Century
#19 in 9th Grade
#14 in Academia
#3 in American
#3 in American Literature
#3 in Americana
#10 in Archives
#50 in Author
#47 in Beautiful
#15 in Brooklyn
#8 in Bucket List
#22 in Business Communication
#25 in Catalog
#23 in Censorship
#44 in Character
#34 in Character Development
#11 in Class
#6 in Classic
#18 in Classical
#22 in Collection
#9 in Controversial
#14 in Depression
#40 in Drama
#51 in Easy Reading
#37 in Entertaining
#40 in Entertainment
#13 in Existential
#35 in Existentialism
#9 in Fiction
#27 in Finding Yourself
#45 in Game Changer
#10 in Gilmore Girls
#31 in Gold
#4 in Growing Up
#23 in Hebrew
#5 in High School
#7 in High School Reading
#23 in Identity
#47 in Important
#25 in Influential
#43 in Intellectual
#17 in Interesting
#31 in Library
#20 in Life Changing
#7 in Literary
#5 in Literature
#6 in Loneliness
#18 in Meaning Of Life
#52 in Mental Health
#11 in Modern
#4 in Modern Classic
#19 in Modern Fiction
#32 in Modernism
#13 in Modernist
#11 in Mommy
#14 in Must-Read
#3 in New York
#3 in New York City
#7 in Novel
#42 in Online
#15 in Orange
#17 in Paperback
#27 in Poster
#41 in Postmodernism
#19 in Purple
#45 in Quarantine
#31 in Rated
#19 in Realistic Fiction
#12 in Roman
#39 in Sadness
#44 in Sales
#42 in Self Discovery
#42 in Soul
#37 in Story
#15 in Style
#46 in Summer
#8 in Summer Reading
#46 in Teacher
#49 in Teaching
#49 in Teen
#6 in Teen Boys
#34 in Thought-Provoking
#20 in Time
#16 in To-Read
#32 in Top Ten
#44 in University
#35 in Used

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Learn: What makes Shortform summaries the best in the world?

Review: The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger

By: thebookaholic
On: May 12, 2023

This post may contain affiliate links. I will make a small commission if you make a purchase through one of these links, at no extra cost to you. See full disclosure and disclaimer policy HERE .

J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye” is a classic novel that has captivated readers for decades. Published in 1951, the book follows the journey of Holden Caulfield, a teenage boy who has been expelled from his prep school and is struggling to find his place in the world. With its themes of alienation, innocence, and conformity, The Catcher in the Rye is a timeless work of literature that still resonates with readers today.

Table of contents, plot summary | spoiler alert |, writing style, reception and impact, criticisms and controversies, personal reflection.

The Catcher in the Rye is set in the 1950s and is narrated by Holden Caulfield, a sixteen-year-old boy who has been expelled from his prep school, Pencey Prep, for failing several classes. After leaving Pencey, Holden decides to spend a few days in New York City before returning to his parents’ home in California.

Throughout his journey, Holden encounters various people and experiences, all of which contribute to his growing sense of alienation from society.

Holden’s character development is a central part of the novel. At the beginning of the book, Holden is cynical and dismissive of most people he encounters, but as he progresses through his journey, he begins to open up and connect with others.

Through his interactions with characters like his sister Phoebe and his former English teacher Mr. Antolini, Holden gains a deeper understanding of himself and the world around him.

Reviewing the classic: The Catcher in the Rye

Soumya Tiwari

Amateur Book Reviews

What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn’t happen much, though.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger in one the most popular classic novels out there. Now from what I have seen,the book gets a lot of mixed opinions, but I feel even though the novel is said to be a ‘coming of age’ book, it is something people of all ages can relate to.

The story is told by Holden Caulfield, a 16 year old boy who’s failing at school and doesn’t really get along with anyone. Holden seems like an old soul stuck in a teenager’s body. Holden doesn’t fit in with the normal world because he thinks everyone’s a ‘phony’. He is tired of the hypocritic world around him. Holden captures the teenage angst and frustration of all those who don’t fit in. At times there is an indication that Holden might be suffering from bipolar disorder.

The story revolves around Holden spending three days in hiding in New York where he meets people who he knows and strangers who are kind enough to have a conversation with him. The novel is a journey through Holden’s mind. We see how close he was to his late brother Allie and how strongly he cares for his little sister Phoebe. What I truly appreciate about this book is the writing style. Reading the novel feels like having a conversation with Holden.

I think the book captures the innocence and urge of a teenager to act like a grown up perfectly. The story though, feels tedious and monotonous at certain points. And even though teenagers now don’t relate it to it much now as the novel is set up in the 1950s, it is still an enjoyable read.

Written by Soumya Tiwari

Software Engineer, book lover, music enthusiast. Always curious! Happy to learn. Happy to help. Instagram: @womenwhocare.in Goodreads: https://bit.ly/35nsxFy

Text to speech

The Catcher in the Rye

By jerome david salinger.

'The Catcher in the Rye' by J.D. Salinger is a frame story that follows a period in the life of a young man named Holden Caulfield.

About the Book

Article written by Emma Baldwin

B.A. in English, B.F.A. in Fine Art, and B.A. in Art Histories from East Carolina University.

The novel is a frame story that follows a period in the life of a young man named Holden Caulfield . Holden, who is the narrator and main character, takes the reader through his newest expulsion from school, his frustration with his friends and family members, failed dates, and outlandish plans that come to nothing. Throughout, he expresses his belief that the people around him are “phony” with nothing to offer but disingenuous platitudes. It is a coming of age story that has resonated with decades of readers.

Key Facts about The Catcher in the Rye

Title: The Catcher in the Rye
Published: 1951
Literary Period: Late Modernism
Genre: Bildungsroman (coming of age story)
Point-of-View: First-person
Setting: Pennsylvania and New York in 1950
Climax: When Holden leaves Mr. Antolini’s house and decides to run away
Antagonist: Adults and “fake” people

J.D. Salinger and The Catcher in the Rye

Although J.D. Salinger did not spend a lot of time sharing personal details from his life, scholars have been able to draw some parallels between the author’s life and that of Holden Caulfield . Throughout his career, Salinger expressed his interest in writing about young people. In fact, he did so almost exclusively. This is seen through his short stories and novels. One of the influences on him, as he crafted his characters, was his own personal history. Just like Holden, Salinger grew up in New York City in upper-class homes. They both flunked out of prep schools and felt similar feelings of dissatisfaction with the world. In fact, Salinger hated the fame that he received after the publication of the novel and moved after its publication to Cornish, New Hampshire where he lived for the rest of his life. Scholars often connect Salinger’s experiences in the Second World War to Holden’s view of the world. He is intensely cynical, tired, and very much not the youthful, hopeful young man that he should be.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger Digital Art

Books Related to The Catcher in the Rye

J.D. Salinger became an intensely private man after the publication of The Catcher in the Rye . This was due mainly to the increased fame that he experienced and the press for interviews and statements about the book and its future. Therefore, it’s not entirely clear who Saligner’s major influences were on his construction of the novel. At the time of its publication , it was intensely original, making us of a new voice and style of writing that shocked many and pleased many more. Salinger is thought to have been an admirer of Ernest Hemingway’s work , or at least the man himself. He met the novelist during World War II in Paris. After taking a close look at the most important themes in The Catcher in the Rye, there are some connections that can be drawn in regard to other novels. For example, a reader might be reminded of James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, another very famous coming of age story. Or, in the same genre, All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy. Alongside these is A Separate Peace by John Knowles and even The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath . The latter is often referenced due to the similar emotional circumstances the main characters find themselves in. Mental illness is one of the main themes in The Bell Jar and is certainly a part of The Catcher in the Rye. More recently, readers might find similarities between The Catcher in the Rye, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Looking for Alaska.

The Lasting Impact of The Catcher in the Rye

When readers think of The Catcher in the Rye it is often Holden’s world view that first comes to mind . The young man’s hatred of adults and all those he sees as phony is something that has resonated with the young and old throughout the decades. His opinion that no one says what they’re thinking or what they really mean is not without merit and his tortured reaction to the world he lives in is deeply relatable. Although most would not go so far as to attempt to run away from home, the impulse to do something different than the world expects of you is there. It is due to this world view that Salinger expressed in the novel, the use of language, and sexual references that got the novel banned throughout the United States as well as in other countries around the world. Teachers were fired for including it on their syllabi and it is still contentious in some more conservative parts of the world. The Catcher in the Rye, despite the fact that it was and is still a victim of censorship, is considered to be one of, if not the, best coming of age stories ever written .

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The catcher in the rye.

Common Sense Says
Parents Say 32 Reviews
Kids Say 109 Reviews

Parents Say

Based on 32 parent reviews

Parent Reviews

Not for classroom instruction.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking

Report this review

A different take, decent book, not for the immature., i think it might be too intellectually challenging for some parents.

Educational value
Great messages

1950s literary version of Tumblr

Definitely not one of best 20th century novels, it's better when you read it as an older teens but not for other age groups..., an absolute classic, one of the greatest books i've ever read, what to read next.

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Book Review

The catcher in the rye.

J.D. Salinger
Coming-of-Age

Readability Age Range

Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group

Year Published

This coming-of-age book by J.D Salinger is published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, and written for kids ages 14 years and up. The age range reflects readability and not necessarily content appropriateness.

Plot Summary

Seventeen-year-old Holden Caulfield begins narrating the story of some trouble he experienced during the previous year. In his narration of the past December, Holden is a student at Pencey Prep, an all-boys school. He is about to be dismissed from school because he is failing four of his five classes. Holden knows that his parents will be upset about his expulsion since Pencey is the fourth school he has attended. Holden goes to visit his history teacher, Mr. Spencer, who encourages Holden to think of his future and do what is expected of him as a student. Holden is not interested in receiving a moral lecture from Mr. Spencer, and he leaves Mr. Spencer’s house.

Holden returns to his dorm room and is forced to talk to annoying schoolmate Ackley, a boy with bad skin and hygiene problems. Ackley’s intrusive behavior irritates Holden, but Holden is generally tolerant and considerate toward Ackley. Ackley leaves the room when Holden’s roommate, Stradlater, returns. Stradlater asks Holden to write an English composition for him, as a favor. Holden is upset when he learns that Stradlater’s date for the evening is Jane Gallagher, a girl Holden knows well. Holden is nervous about the idea of Stradlater dating Jane because Stradlater views girls with sexual intent.

Later that night, Holden writes the descriptive English essay for Stradlater. He is supposed to describe a room or a house, but instead he describes the baseball glove of his deceased younger brother, Allie. Allie had used green ink to write lines of poetry all over his glove so he would have something to read during the dull parts of the game. Allie died of leukemia a few years earlier, and Holden misses him.

Stradlater returns to the dorm after his date with Jane, and he is disappointed with Holden’s essay about the baseball glove. Holden tears up the essay and asks Stradlater about his date with Jane. Stradlater refuses to share any details, and Holden punches him. Stradlater does not want to continue the fight, but Holden keeps insulting Stradlater’s intelligence, intentionally provoking more violence. Stradlater leaves the room, and Holden inspects his own bloody face in the mirror. Holden walks to the neighboring room to visit Ackley. He tries to sleep on Ackley’s roommate’s bed, but is tormented by wondering what Stradlater might have done with Jane.

Since he has already been expelled from Pencey Prep, Holden decides to leave the school a few days before his parents come to fetch him. He boards a late-night train for New York and coincidentally meets Mrs. Morrow, the mother of one of his classmates. Holden lies and tells Mrs. Morrow that her spiteful son Ernest is a wonderful person. When Mrs. Morrow expresses her concern that Holden is leaving on his winter break too early, he lies again and tells her he is going to New York to have a brain tumor removed.

When Holden leaves the train, he wants to call someone on the pay phone at the train station, but he can’t think of anyone to call. He does not want to contact his parents, and most of his friends are asleep at that hour. Holden takes a taxi and checks into the Edmont Hotel. He looks out his window and sees a man and woman in another room taking turns spitting their drinks into each other’s faces, and this sight makes him think about sex. He telephones a girl who is known to be promiscuous, but the girl does not want to meet with him because it is so late.

Holden considers calling his 10-year-old sister, Phoebe, whom he adores. Instead, Holden goes down to the lounge of the Edmont Hotel, which is called the Lavender Room. He dances with an older woman and tries to have a conversation with her, but she and her friends barely pay attention to him because they are hoping to spot movie stars in the Lavender Room. Holden eventually dances with all three ladies and buys them alcoholic drinks while he drinks sodas. The ladies leave, and Holden becomes depressed.

Holden reminisces about spending time with Jane Gallagher in the past, when they lived in the same neighborhood. Holden and Jane were good friends, who shared an almost romantic attachment. Holden is still angry about Stradlater taking Jane out on a date. Holden takes a cab to a club called Ernie’s, where he is served a scotch and soda. He soon leaves Ernie’s and returns to the Edmont Hotel.

An elevator operator asks Holden if he’d like to be visited by a prostitute, and Holden agrees. When the girl, Sunny, arrives in his room, Holden feels more depressed than aroused. He pays Sunny for her time and sends her away without having sex, but Sunny and her pimp, Maurice, return to demand more money. Sunny takes an extra $5 from Holden’s wallet. When Holden protests, Maurice punches him in the stomach.

The next morning, Holden goes out and has a pleasant conversation with a pair of nuns. He gives the nuns $10 to contribute to a charity. In the afternoon, Holden meets his friend Sally Hayes for a date at the theater. They watch a play, which Sally enjoys but Holden dislikes, and Holden becomes angry with Sally for flirting with a college boy, who was also at the play. The two go ice-skating. Then Holden asks Sally if she will run away with him to live in a cabin in the woods. He says he is tired of living in his fake world and wants to escape. When Sally points out the logical flaws in his plan, Holden insults her and makes her cry. The two part ways.

Holden calls his old schoolmate Carl Luce and arranges to meet with him. Holden’s childish question about sex annoy Carl Luce when the two of them meet, and Luce leaves Holden after suggesting that he be psychoanalyzed. Holden sits by himself at the Wicker Bar and gets drunk before walking out to visit the Central Park duck pond. It is freezing cold by the duck pond at night in December, and Holden wonders what would happen if he died of pneumonia. He recalls the death of his younger brother and remembers how he missed Allie’s funeral because he was in the hospital with broken hands.

Holden walks to the apartment complex where his parents live. His parents are out at a late-night party, but his 10-year-old sister, Phoebe, is sleeping peacefully. Phoebe is thrilled to see Holden when she wakes up, and she enthusiastically tells him all the details of her life at school. Phoebe is upset to learn that Holden is only visiting her because he has been kicked out of another school. She asks him what he wants to do with his life. Holden replies that he wants to be a catcher in the rye. He references the children’s song “Coming Thru’ the Rye,” based on a poem by Robert Burns, and misquotes the song. Holden says that in his own interpretation, the song is about children playing in a rye field on the edge of a cliff, and it is his duty to protect the children and catch them if they stray too far near the cliff.

Holden leaves his family’s apartment and goes to visit his former English teacher, Mr. Antolini, and his wife. Mr. Antolini welcomes Holden into his apartment and tries to figure out why Holden is failing all but one of his subjects at Pencey Prep. Mr. Antolini is worried that Holden is about to experience some horrible kind of breakdown because he has become disillusioned with life. Mr. Antolini says that Holden is not the first person to feel disgusted by human behavior, but that if he keeps applying himself to his schoolwork, he will discover that many great thinkers have been in his exact situation, mentally and spiritually.

Holden briefly falls asleep at Mr. Antolini’s apartment, but wakes up to find Mr. Antolini patting his head. Holden believes that Mr. Antolini is making a sexual advance, so he leaves the apartment and spends the night at Grand Central Station. The next morning, Holden walks along Fifth Avenue, imagining a future where he abandons his life in New York and travels west to live a simple life. Holden walks to Phoebe’s elementary school and leaves a note asking her to meet him at the art museum.

Holden feels sick most of the day, and he faints while waiting for Phoebe at the museum. When Phoebe meets Holden, she is dragging a suitcase because she has decided to run away with her brother. Holden angrily tells Phoebe that she can’t come with him, and then he says he has changed his mind about going away. The two of them visit the zoo and look at the animals before walking to a carousel. Holden buys a ticket for Phoebe and enjoys watching her as she rides it.

In the epilogue, Holden mentions that he has been in a resting home recovering from a serious sickness, but he will be going to a new school in September. He plans to apply himself to his schoolwork this time.

Christian Beliefs

Students at Pencey Prep attend chapel. A wealthy alumnus of Pencey Prep named Ossenburger disgusts Holden. Ossenburger once gave a speech to Pencey students about the importance of praying to God. Ossenburger says that he himself is never ashamed to kneel and ask God for help, and he encourages the students to talk to God and to think of Jesus as their buddy. Holden finds Ossenburger’s faith insincere, apparently because Ossenburger seems very concerned about obtaining wealth through his undertaking business.

Ackley is upset that Holden and Stradlater’s fight woke him up because he has to attend Catholic Mass early the next morning. Holden says he is toying with the idea of joining a monastery and asks Ackley if a man must be Catholic in order to join a monastery. Ackley angrily wonders if Holden is making jokes about his religion, but Holden replies that he was simply curious. When he was attending the Whooton School, Holden remembers drinking scotch in the school chapel on a Saturday night.

At his hotel, Holden feels the need to pray, but can’t do it. He says that he is an atheist and that all the children in his family are atheists since their parents belong to two different religions. Holden says he likes Jesus but dislikes the disciples, whom he describes as being useless. He remembers arguing with a devout Quaker schoolmate about whether Judas went to hell. His schoolmate said yes, but Holden asserted that Jesus would never send Judas to hell. Holden says he does not like ministers because they speak in fake holy voices instead of talking like regular people.

Holden has a very pleasant conversation with two nuns he meets, and he is surprised that they do not ask him if he is Catholic. His father was once Catholic, and since Holden’s last name is Irish, many people assume he is Catholic. Holden recalls a depressing conversation with a new acquaintance at school: The boy asked Holden if he knew the location of the Catholic church in town. Holden saw the boy’s question as an attempt to discover if Holden went to church, and it displeased Holden to think that his acquaintance might only like him if they belonged to the same religion.

At Radio City, Holden watches a brief Christmas pageant, which involves actors coming on stage carrying crucifixes and singing “Come All Ye Faithful.” Holden thinks that Jesus would be disgusted to see this fancy spectacle. Mrs. Caulfield makes sure that Phoebe says her prayers at night.

Other Belief Systems

Holden says his mother is psychic: She always seems to know it is Holden calling her, even if he hangs up before speaking. Carl Luce mentions that Eastern philosophy appeals to him. Holden begins to fantasize that he is disappearing, and he prays to his deceased brother, Allie, to keep himself from vanishing.

Authority Roles

Holden says that his parents are nice people, but they would be incredibly upset if he shared any personal information about them. He seems to respect his parents, enough to worry that his expulsion from Pencey Prep will hurt them. Holden is concerned about his mother’s emotional well-being because he knows she has never fully recovered from Allie’s death.

Holden says that Headmaster Thurmer of Pencey Prep is a phony slob. He also says that Mr. Haas, the headmaster of Elkton Hills, is a phony even worse than Thurmer because he showed favoritism toward his students’ parents. Ossenburger, a wealthy alumnus of Pencey, is also deemed a phony because he is wealthy and pretentious.

Holden likes Mr. Spencer, his history teacher, but does not respect him enough to listen to his advice about life. Holden says that Jane Gallagher’s stepfather used to do nothing but drink alcohol, listen to radio programs and walk around the house naked.

Mrs. Morrow, the mother of one of Holden’s nastier classmates, seems to be a genuinely nice woman, and Holden wonders whether she understands what an unpleasant person her son truly is. Holden says that all mothers are slightly crazy and self-deceived about the goodness of their children.

Mr. Antolini shows genuine care and concern for Holden’s temporary wellbeing and for his future. Holden believes that Mr. Antolini makes a sexual advance toward him by patting his head while he is sleeping.

Profanity & Violence

There are many uses of the words crap, h–/h—uva, d–n , a–, half-a–ed, b–tard, sonuvab–ch, backa–wards, b–ches and the f-word. Holden once says the weather is “cold as a witch’s teat.” God’s name and Jesus or Jesus Christ are taken in vain a lot with other words such as d–n, sake, swear to, sake and h— .

Holden jokes that his unique hat is not a deer shooting hat, as his schoolmate Ackley claims, but a people shooting hat. The night Allie died, Holden smashed all the windows in his family’s garage with his fist. His hand is broken so badly that even three years later he is unable to make a tight fist and his hand hurts when it rains.

Holden punches Stradlater, and Stradlater kneels on Holden’s chest to keep him from attacking again. After Holden insults him repeatedly, Stradlater gives Holden a punch hard enough to knock him to the ground and make his nose bleed profusely. Holden believes that those who are afraid to fight other guys are cowards. He would rather push another guy out a window or behead him with an axe than punch him in the face.

When Maurice hits Holden in the stomach, Holden vividly imagines being shot. He envisions clutching his bloody stomach before shooting Maurice in revenge. He mentions wanting to commit suicide by jumping out of his hotel window, but decides against it because people would stare at his gory corpse. Holden remembers a bullied boy at his former school who committed suicide by jumping out of a window. No one would approach the boy’s mangled body until Mr. Antolini put his own coat over him.

Sexual Content

Holden refers to his brother DB as a prostitute, but this is a figure of speech. DB writes movies instead of fiction, and Holden equates this misuse of DB’s talent with prostitution.

Holden says that Stradlater is only interested in sexy topics, and if something inappropriate is not being discussed, Stradlater stops paying attention to the conversation. Regarding Stradlater’s date with Jane, Holden asks if Stradlater gave her the time , a euphemism for sex. Stradlater refuses to say whether he did. Holden is horrified to think that Stradlater might have had any kind of physical intimacy with Jane. Holden says that most boys at Pencey Prep only claim to have had sex, but Holden personally knows two girls who have had sex with Stradlater.

Holden recalls going on a double date with Stradlater when Stradlater and his date were in the back seat. The girl kept asking Stradlater to stop his advances, but Stradlater continued to persuade her in a sincere voice until she stopped protesting. Holden is not sure what happened in the backseat, but he thinks Stradlater came very close to having sex with the girl.

Ackley tells Holden a story about a girl he had sex with, but Holden says that Ackley has told him this story many times and that the tale changes every time. Ackley claims to have had sex with an unnamed girl in a car and under a boardwalk. Holden is certain that these stories are lies, and he believes that Ackley is a virgin.

Holden briefly describes himself as quite sexy, but not oversexed. He seems to imply that he is fond of women but does not want to be considered a pervert. He notes that Mrs. Morrow is a beautiful woman with a good smile, and later mentions that she has a lot of charm and sex appeal.

At the Edmont Hotel, Holden looks out his window and sees a man in the opposite room put on women’s stockings, high heels, a bra, a corset and a black evening dress. Holden is shocked at this behavior.

Holden says that in his own mind, he is a sex maniac. When Holden sees a man and woman spitting water in each other’s faces, the sight fascinates him, even though he thinks it is degrading to treat a girl that way. Holden thinks that if a man does not like a girl, he should not engage her in any sexual play, but if he does like the girl, he should not do anything degrading to her. Even so, he finds the water-spitting couple very engrossing to watch.

It is not clear exactly what kinds of sexual activity Holden has been involved with in the past, but he makes references to horsing around and necking . At one point, Holden had resolved not to be physically involved with any girls whose personalities he disliked, but he almost immediately broke his resolution and found himself kissing a girl he couldn’t stand. Holden tries to meet with Faith Cavendish, a girl known for her promiscuity, but his plans do not work out.

In the Lavender Room of the Edmont Hotel, Holden kisses a girl on the forehead. As they dance together, he pays extra attention to her backside as she turns around.

Holden says that his relationship with Jane Gallagher was intimate but not sexual. They held hands frequently, and he recalls kissing her face, but not her lips, when she was crying about her unpleasant stepfather.

Holden mentions that a girl he talks to, Lillian Simmons, has huge breasts.

The elevator operator at Holden’s hotel asks if Holden would like to have a prostitute visit him in his room. Holden agrees, though he thinks to himself that this sort of situation goes against his moral principles. When the girl arrives, Holden is no longer interested in having sex with her. She removes her dress and sits on his lap to try to arouse him, but Holden pays her for her time and sends her away without having sex.

Holden mentions that he is a virgin because he always respects girls when they tell him to stop his advances. Holden says that while other guys will just continue pushing past a girl’s boundaries, he is not aggressive enough to have sex with a girl when she is saying no. He mentions kissing girls and removing a girl’s bra.

Holden remembers that when he went to a museum as a child, all the boys and girls in his class were interested in a topless figure of a woman in the Indian exhibit at the Museum of Natural History.

Holden and Sally Hayes kiss in the back of a taxi. Sally puts on a short skirt to go ice-skating, and Holden appreciates watching her walk ahead of him.

Holden uses the term flit to refer to homosexual men. Holden’s former schoolmate Carl Luce used to give talks to all the underclassmen at their school about perverted sex, and he liked to tell them about which people in Hollywood were secretly homosexuals or lesbians. Holden has always thought that Luce himself displayed some homosexual characteristics.

Mr. and Mrs. Antolini kiss. Holden says they are always kissing each other in public. While Holden is sleeping, Mr. Antolini wakes him up by patting his head. Holden interprets this touch as a sexual advance, and he leaves the Antolinis’ apartment. Holden does not mention any details, but he says that other guys have often exhibited perverted behaviors around him, and it makes him nervous.

When Holden finds the f-word written on a wall inside Phoebe’s school, he is terrified that someone will explain to the children what the phrase really means. Holden rubs the words off the wall.

Discussion Topics

If your children have read this book or someone has read it to them, consider these discussion topics:

Holden is upset that Mr. Haas, his former headmaster at Elkton Hills, avoided socially awkward parents and instead spent all his time charming parents who were good looking and well dressed.
Why does Holden label this behavior as phony?
Why might this be an easy trap to fall into?

Have you ever treated someone better because of his or her outward appearance or wealth?

What good things does Holden say about Stradlater when Ackley is saying negative things about him?

What is the difference in the way Holden treats the socially awkward Ackley and the way Stradlater treats Ackley?
In what ways does Holden think Stradlater and Ackley are similar?
How does Holden treat Ackley and Stradlater when they are annoying him?
When Holden goes to town with Mal Brossard, why does he invite Ackley to accompany them, even though he does not enjoy Ackley’s company?
Is Ackley equally generous with Holden?
How do you talk about and treat your friends?

Do you treat them in a similar way as Holden treated his friends?

Why does Holden lie to Mrs. Morrow about her son Ernest?

How does he stop himself from telling more lies to Mrs. Morrow on the train?
What might have compelled him to do this?
Have you ever found yourself in a situation like this? Explain.

Additional Comments

Smoking: Holden says he was a very heavy smoker before he went to the rest home, where they made him quit his smoking habit. Several times, he mentions that he is out of breath after only mild physical activity, due to his smoking. He smokes frequently throughout the novel.

Alcohol: Holden invites Mrs. Morrow to the club car of the train to have cocktails with him. He says he can normally get people to serve him alcohol because he is very tall for 16, and he has premature gray hair. Mrs. Morrow declines the drinks. Holden later asks two different taxi drivers to join him for cocktails, but the drivers decline. He asks Faith Cavendish out for cocktails, and she declines. At the Lavender Room of the Edmont Hotel, Holden orders a scotch and soda but is politely refused service because he looks under 21. He asks the waiter to put a little bit of rum in his coke, but this request is also denied. At a club called Ernie’s, Holden is finally served a few scotch and sodas. Holden remembers drinking scotch in the chapel at his previous school, then vomiting afterward. Holden is denied access to alcohol at the skating rink, but gets a scotch and soda at the Wicker Bar. Many other characters drink alcohol.

Book reviews cover the content, themes and world-views of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. A book’s inclusion does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.

You can request a review of a title you can’t find at [email protected] .

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Review: The Catcher in the Rye

While Holden Caulfield’s sentiments rang true during the 1950s, they don’t today.

Uzair Hammad '24 , Editor in Chief | April 29, 2023

High in the American literary canon sits The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, a novel so famous that for most everyone at the Academy, it’s required reading in an upper-school English class. As such, I was expecting a riveting storyline with a complex subtext, something that would truly change the way I see the world. The book failed to meet those (admittedly lofty) expectations.

The Catcher in the Rye was originally published in 1951 and revolves around almost-high-school dropout Holden Caulfield at the Pencey Prep school in the fictional city of Agerstown, Pennsylvania. There, he navigates coming of age, starting off by having to deal with his two dorm-mates, Ackley and Stradlater. On the verge of being expelled, Holden runs away from the school and ends up going back to his hometown of New York City. There, he frequents bars, catches up with his old girlfriend, and reminisces about his past, among other things. The novel is said to personify Holden’s teenage angst toward the world adolescents inhabit. While we see glimpses of that sentiment relayed throughout, especially through Holden’s obsession with, and mocking of, people he dubs “phonies,” I’ve seen Taylor Swift do a better job at putting that feeling into words. Even though so much immediately relatable to any student’s life remains untouched in Swift’s songs, she still nails the teen mindset of wanting to belong, getting older, and the unpredictability of what teens may do when left by themselves.

Salinger had so much more at his disposal to emulate those emotions, especially considering Holden’s status as a student. While Holden may have personified the feelings of the teenage counterculture in the 50s, in rebelling against middle-class American life and whatever else he could find, his character doesn’t ring true in a more contemporary context. Call me back when Holden has to find a way to sit through multiple AP exams, deal with loads of homework every day, wonder when he’ll find true love, has to balance everything going on in his life while appearing on top of the world, and wonders whether everything is worth it. Instead, the most internality we get from Holden consists of him going on odd tangents about his life before he arrived at Pencey. Rarely do any of these thoughts make a difference to the story; they’re generally overshadowed by the next thing to cross Holden’s mind. While they give important context for his behavior in certain situations, the way in which they do so – sometimes through long-winded paragraphs that take up multiple pages – is problematic. This all leads to a boring reading experience, one that has no discernible story arc or recognizable structure, and a novel that simply takes readers through the motions – as Holden does so expertly throughout – by simply scratching the surface of many of the events it discusses, not wanting or trying to explore them more in-depth.

We see in Holden someone who has already given up – at an age where, at least nowadays, giving up is simply not seen as an option. We’re supposed to be able to ace all of our classes, lead multiple extracurriculars, maintain a social life effortlessly, and to get up and do it all again the next day. While we all hope we could throw caution to the wind as he does, the reality is that we can’t – and he shouldn’t be able to either. He prefers to play with his hat more than to commit himself to doing what he knows he must. Failing his classes, hanging around the seedy streets of New York City, and mingling with prostitutes are only symptoms of a much deeper problem within himself, a problem that remains unnamed as Salinger fails to truly go behind what causes it.

Uzair Hammad '24 has been a writer and editor for The Advocate for four years, finally ascending to the fabled position of editor-in-chief. In his free...

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Sara • Aug 6, 2024 at 8:43 pm

Hmm. I’m afraid there’s a misunderstanding if you’ve reached the end of the book and you didn’t suddenly view the first 90% in a new light. I’m not sure if it’s suited for high school students because I know at that time I wouldn’t have understood either.

Stuart • Mar 11, 2024 at 2:38 pm

An appalling book ,utterly humourless and written in an unintelligible language by a perverted goat .

The Catcher In The Rye: Book Review

The Catcher In The Rye, written by J. D. Salinger, is a fictional novel that was first published in 1965. The novel takes place in New York City and in Pennsylvania over a duration of four days. This novel tells the story of an emotionally disturbed teenager who has been kicked out of a boarding school. The story is told from the point of view of a teenager who is the narrator of the story. The main character in this novel is Holden Caulfield. He is sixteen years old and serves as the narrator of this novel. Holden does not like anybody or nything around him.

He is an emotionally troubled kid and has many problems with his life. Phoebe is Holden’s little sister. She is ten years old and lives at home with their parents. Phoebe really admires and loves her big brother, Holden. This novel begins when Holden is in a mental hospital in California. The novel is a flashback of the events over a time period of four days. The flashback starts off when Holden gets kicked out of his boarding school, Pency Prep, because he is failing most of his classes.

Holden decides to go into New York City for a couple of days until his parents will be expecting him home for Christmas vacation. Holden goes to bars and meets with friends during this time. On the third night, Holden decides to go and visit his sister, Phoebe. Phoebe is one of the only people that Holden actually loves. Holden talks to Phoebe about his life being a failure. He is trying to understand life and his place in the world. Holden decides that he wants to go see Mr. Antolini, an old teacher, to help him get a better understanding of his life.

At Mr. Antolini’s ome, Holden discusses many of the problems that he is facing. Mr. Antolini tells Holden that he has to learn not to hate everyone around him. He has to learn to love people. Holden is told that he has to think about his future. He has to decide when he is going to start to take life seriously and apply himself in school. Holden’s conversation with Mr. Antolini is the climax of the novel. This is the point of the novel when Holden starts to listen and understand his problems. He realizes that it is time he put his life back on the right track.

The next day, Holden returns home to his family. Holden is taken directly to a mental hospital in California. The hospital is where Holden is before the flashback. Holden was a very true-to-life character. Holden’s problems are similar to many teenagers of today. A lot of teenagers do not know what they want in life just like Holden. Holden has many problems in school similar to the probelms other kids have in school. Mr. Antolini says to Holden, Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. 89).

His statement is an example that shows that Holden is not the only person in the world with these problems. Their problems might not be as severe as Holden’s, but they are similar. Many teenagers don’t know what they want to do in the future just like Holden. Holden is a very true-to-life character, because his problems relate to the problems of many young people today. The reader of this novel might dislike some of the actions and find them to be unrealistic. It is unrealistic that a sixteen year old kid would go to

New York City for four days by himself with no one worrying about where he is. In real life, most kids would not have the money to go into New York City for four days. A normal school would contact the parents if the child was expelled. Therefore, the parents will know that the kid is coming home and the kid will not be able to go off on his own for four days without supervision. This novel had some actions in it that just would not happen in real life. In conclusion, I really enjoyed reading this novel. I can relate a lot of the problems that Holden was facing to people that I know.

This novel kept my attention, because I wanted to know what was going to happen to Holden. The author probably wrote this novel to relate some of the problems that he had in life with the problems of people reading this book. The author was attempting to impress upon his readers that it is okay to not know what you want in life when you are young. I believe that he was successful, because he made me believe that it is okay for me not to know what I want to do in life. This novel was very well written, and I would give it an eight on a ten point scale.

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10 books that have bad reputations but are actually really good.

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All 6 Mortal Instruments Books, Ranked From Worst To Best

10 books to read if you love fourth wing, twilight: 13 best quotes about love.

Not all books with bad reputations are truly awful; some have redeeming qualities worth exploring.
While controversial, The Mortal Instruments series offers compelling characters & themes beyond the incest storyline.
Gossip Girl adaptation tarnished the books' reputation, but the mystery payoff in Pretty Little Liars books is worth revisiting.

All published books have a reputation of sorts, regardless of whether their notoriety is good or bad. Books with excellent reputations are often revered, critically acclaimed, and highly praised for various reasons. However, for every book with a renowned status, other books are notoriously known for being bad . Whether they are standalone novels or complete series, these books have garnered quite the reputation for being cringe-worthy, abysmal, and dreadful. There are some reasons why a book might have a bad reputation—there might be a taboo storyline, a mediocre retelling, a bad adaptation, or the writing is simply awful.

Sometimes, even authors are the reason for the reputation of their works, which is the case for many of Colleen Hoover's books . At other times, stories might not initially have a bad reputation, but the books age poorly over time. However, just because a book has a bad reputation does not mean it has no redeeming qualities. In fact, several books have accumulated bad reputations, yet upon reading them, are actually quite entertaining . Sometimes, the noise surrounding a particular story must be blocked out in order to truly enjoy the narrative for what it is.

15 Most Popular Books On BookTok

BookTok has become the go-to place to find book reviews and recommendations, but what are some of the most popular novels on the platform?

10 The Mortal Instruments (2007-2014)

Written by cassandra clare.

The Mortal Instruments is Cassandra Clare's first series, which revolves around a group of extraordinary humans called Shadowhunters, whose job is to eradicate demons from the world. The books were initially beloved, but in recent years, they have garnered much criticism because of the incest storyline between the two main characters , Clary Fray and Jace Herondale. For almost two books, the narrative pushed Clary and Jace as two broken people who are in love but cannot be together because they discover they are siblings after falling in love. The notorious sister quote remains the most well-known excerpt from the series:

“You're my sister, he said finally.” “My sister, my blood, my family. I should want to protect you”—he laughed soundlessly without any humor—“to protect you from the sort of boys who want to do with you exactly what I want to do.”

However, putting this storyline aside, The Mortal Instruments became popular for a reason. The series has well-rounded characters, compelling dynamics, and critical themes of oppression and acceptance that are not as predominant in the other Shadowhunter books. The Mortal Instruments does not deserve a bad reputation just because of a cringe-worthy quote and storyline that do not even matter in the end, especially since once the narrative reveals the truth, it becomes clear that Valentine, the villain, let Jace believe that he and Clary were siblings as a method of abuse and torture.

The covers of City of Glass, City of Ashes, and City of Fallen Angels from The Mortal Instruments book series

The Mortal Instruments is a young adult fantasy series from the early 2000s, and each book comes with its own magical highs and questionable lows.

9 The Looking Glass Wars (2004)

Written by frank beddor.

The Looking Glass Wars trilogy by Frank Beddor has been a heated subject of debate ever since the publication of its first book in 2004. As time passed, the series received a bad reputation for being an awful retelling of the beloved story Alice's Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. The Looking Glass Wars is seen as completely disrespectful to the original children's book. However, evaluating the trilogy without considering its retelling aspect, The Look Glass Wars is a beautiful and intriguing story with gorgeous prose , fascinating world-building, and unique characteristics inspired by various fictional characters and designs.

8 Fourth Wing

Written rebecca yarros.

This image is a closeup of the Fourth Wing book cover.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros took over BookTok since its publication last year. The book is not regarded as anything that has revolutionized the fantasy genre; it is often criticized for repeating fantasy staples, with the occasional critic commenting on the mediocre writing. Fourth Wing might not be the most unique fantasy book in existence, but it has a positive quality that makes a good story—the world-building, particularly the dragon lore. Fourth Wing has an intricate dragon system that gives dragons their own personalities and desires, which raises the stakes and ultimately makes Fourth Wing a good book.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros against a pink, enlarged version of the cover

Fourth Wing is hard to follow because of its well-balanced fantasy and romance elements, but there are a few great books that share similar themes.

7 The Catcher In The Rye

Written by j.d. salinger.

The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger is one of the most controversial books of the 20th century. It revolves around Holden Caulfield as he navigates society with his rebellious streak. Since its publication in 1951, The Catcher In The Rye has been on countless book ban lists. The book became even more controversial when David Chapman murdered John Lennon and cited The Catcher In The Rye as inspiration. In 2024, the book is considered mostly taboo. Aside from the indirect damage this book caused, it is a good story about an angsty lone wolf making his way.

The Catcher In The Rye touches many young adolescents for a reason—the book resonates with them, regardless of others using it for harm in the world.

The Catcher In The Rye touches many young adolescents for a reason—the book resonates with them, regardless of others using it for harm in the world. It is unlikely that the book's reputation will ever change ; the only way to do so would be to create an adaptation of the novel, but there will never be a movie adaptation of The Catcher In The Rye . The book will remain notorious for its connection to real-life violence, sex, disrespect for people, and lack of morality.

6 Twilight (2005)

Written by stephenie meyer.

Twilight is easily one of the most hated books. Despite its wide fan base during the peak of the series, the books have become notorious for several reasons, including Jacob and Renesmee's strange relationship, Edward Cullen's behavior, and the lack of personality in Bella Swan. Furthermore, the Twilight Saga did not have to consist of four books —it could have been a standalone novel or a duology to continue the story with Breaking Dawn .

	Publication Date
	October 5, 2005
	August 21, 2006
	August 7, 2007
	August 2, 2008
	August 4, 2020

Bella Swan might not be the most intriguing protagonist ever, but the story is interesting, and Edward Cullen's mysterious persona makes the narrative compelling. When James, Victoria, and Laurent arrive at the Cullens' baseball game, the book raises the stakes and becomes even more exciting . Twilight is a decent novel that makes much more sense as a standalone, and the first book does not deserve the bad reputation the series received.

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart as Edward Cullen and Bella Swan at the forefront of the Cullen family in the cropped Twilight New Moon Poster

The Twilight series is one of the most popular young adult franchises ever. Here are some of the best quotes the series has to offer about love.

5 Shatter Me (2011-2021)

Written by tahereh mafi.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is about a girl named Juliette Ferrars who has a lethal power that kills anyone touching her skin. She lives in a dystopian futuristic world run by an oppressive organization called the Reestablishment. Juliette has been isolated, experimented on, poked, and prodded throughout her entire life, and she is just 17 years old. As a result of the horrific abuse she endured, she does not interact with others properly, and she cannot form coherent thoughts either . When Juliette writes in her diary, she is incohesive, which is how Shatter Me garnered a bad reputation.

The actual prose in Shatter Me is beautiful, and the narrative is exciting, with complex characters, ever-changing dynamics, and thrilling plot twists.

The series is often dismissed due to bad writing, but the bad writing is actually just Juliette's inability to write or think properly . Juliette's experiences made her unable to function like a typical person. However, as the story unfolds, Juliette becomes more and more cohesive as she escapes her prison, spends more time around people, and develops her own relationships. The actual prose in Shatter Me is beautiful, and the narrative is exciting, with complex characters, ever-changing dynamics, and thrilling plot twists. Shatter Me does not deserve the hate it gets, especially since it results from being misunderstood.

4 Gossip Girl (2002)

Written by cecily von ziegesar.

Sometimes, a book adaptation loses its way, resulting in the adaptation and its book gaining a terrible reputation. That is certainly the case for Gossip Girl . While the TV show is a classic teen drama from the late 2000s, it has not aged well, often romanticizing abuse and sexual assault. The later seasons were also awful, lacked a coherent storyline, and became uninteresting. The reveal of Dan as Gossip Girl made no sense and completely ruined the show. Gossip Girl is infinitely more popular than the books , leaving the novels forgotten or lumped in with its TV adaptation.

The Gossip Girl books also have two spinoff series— Gossip Girl: The Carlyles and The It Girl .

However, the only thing the book and the show have in common besides basic character details is the pilot episode. After that, they are as different as night and day. The most exciting thing about the Gossip Girl books is that they end without ever revealing the identity of Gossip Girl. The series makes compelling arguments for each main character, suggesting it could be any of them multiple times, and these characteristics keep the story compelling.

3 The City Of Ember (2003)

Written by jeanne duprau.

The disastrous City Of Ember had the perfect recipe to be successful with Tom Hanks as a producer and Saoirse Ronan and Bill Murray as part of the film's cast. However, it failed on an epic level, making it a terrible adaptation of the book The City Of Ember . The film was so awful that the book also became forgotten , lumped in with the film's existence. However, disregarding the horrible adaptation, The City Of Ember is an excellent book. The biggest problem with the film is that it removes the stakes from the plot entirely.

In The City Of Ember , the underground city is in a time capsule that should last 200 years before people can resurface. However, the plot thickens when the narrative reveals that the characters actually live in a decaying civilization. The film adaptation does not reveal that—the characters already know they are in a decaying civilization and must leave. The City Of Ember deserves to be remembered as a good book series rather than for its movie adaptation.

2 Allegiant (2013)

Written by veronica roth.

The Divergent films never concluded with Allegiant: Part 2 since Allegiant: Part 1 deviated from its book counterpart so badly that the final film never went into production. However, the Allegiant book has a bad reputation on its own because of its highly controversial ending . It is rare for the protagonist to die in a young adult series, but the Divergent trilogy went down that path when David fatally shot Tris. It was shocking and rocked the narrative, including her love interest, Tobias Eaton. Tris Prior's death meant Tobias must live without her, and there is no typical happy ending.

However, looking at the ending objectively, there was no other possible outcome . Tris Prior is selfless and wants to save her brother, knowing that Caleb only volunteered out of guilt and not love. Nobody else would sneak into the lab to release the serum—it would be out of character for Tris. Sure, she gets to live happily ever, but it is unlike Tris to allow someone else to do what she believes is her job. The upsetting ending should not diminish the book series—if anything, it is one of the only aspects that makes the trilogy compelling.

1 Pretty Little Liars (2006-2014)

Written by sara shepard.

Pretty Little Liars will forever remain an iconic staple of the 2010s. The mystery, the drama, the secrets, and the stakes make it impossible to turn away from. However, the quality significantly diminished as the show went on, and the last few seasons didn't live up to the expectations set by the first, with the Pretty Little Liars series finale exemplifying these issues. Introducing a character's twin in the show's last hour, conveniently sewing up the narrative, is the biggest cop-out in any mystery. Nowadays, Pretty Little Liars is remembered as a show that completely fumbled its ending .

As a result, the books were forgotten, even though the mystery pays off in the books. The Pretty Little Liars books have their own reputation for their extreme 2000s-coded prose , but the mystery is easily the best part. It is so well crafted, revealing every new tidbit of information at the right time the mystery pays off in the most epic way possible when the big reveal comes. The show could not accomplish something like that because it steered too far away from the books, nitpicking bits and pieces of the mystery without following it properly.

The Catcher in the Rye: Book summary

Publisher description.

Book summary by Loudly, this is an abridged version of the original title. "The Catcher in the Rye" is a timeless classic that delves into the mind of Holden Caulfield, a disenchanted teenager navigating the complexities of adolescence in mid-20th century America. The narrative, rich with existential angst and profound insight, captures Holden's journey through New York City after being expelled from his prestigious prep school. His interactions, both meaningful and superficial, with a variety of characters, reveal his deep sense of isolation and yearning for genuine human connection. The novel's candid portrayal of teenage rebellion, identity crisis, and the loss of innocence continues to resonate with readers of all ages, making it a poignant exploration of youth and the challenges of growing up.

The stunning photographs of Australian artist Anne Zahalka: remembering the past and recording the present

Honorary Senior Fellow, School of Culture and Communication. Editor in chief, Design and Art of Australia Online, The University of Melbourne

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The first work I saw by the Australian photo-media artist Anne Zahalka was her regendered version of Tom Roberts’ A Break Away! (1891). In Zahalka’s 1985 rendering, the heroic rider has been given a plait.

It was part of her series The Landscape Re‑presented , where the young artist had used photomontage to change heroic images of Australian art into a gender-inclusive multicultural Australia.

This was the body of work that in 1986 persuaded the Australia Council to award Zahalka a year-long residency at Berlin’s Künstlerhaus Bethanien . The experience of Berlin, with its great art and embedded history, opened the eyes of this child of refugees to her European heritage.

Honouring art

The result was Resemblance , comprised of large-format Cibachrome photographs honouring the art she saw.

Most works evoke the sentiment rather than individual works.

The hero of these photographs is the light that sharply defines the objects that give the subjects their identity.

The one work that directly quotes an actual painting is Marriage of Convenience (Graham Budgett and Jane Mulfinger), a modern retake of The Arnolfini Portrait , the 15th-century painting that revolutionised western art.

Zahalka even places a reflection of herself in the painting, a tribute to the way Jan Van Eyck inserted himself into the original.

On the beach

On her return to Australia, Zahalka began to experiment with digital photography. At first she manipulated elements of the works she had made in Berlin. Fragments of photographs are modified, duplicated and even turned into Rorschach images .

Living in Bondi, she started to consider the difference between images of the iconic beach as a bastion of bronzed Anglo-Australia and its multicultural reality.

Her series Bondi: Playground of the Pacific gave the beach a multicultural tweak that was closer to reality. It showed the variety and energy of visitors to Bondi, from tanned beach inspectors to Japanese surfers.

Some years later, in the series Welcome to Sydney, a commission from the international airport, she photographed an Orthodox Jewish rabbi and his family on the sand at Bondi Beach.

Exploring the transient

Zahalka says she really values the many residencies that have enabled her to make extended series of works.

Hotel Suite (2008) is the result of a residency at Melbourne’s Hotel Sofitel. The transient nature of hotel life prompted her to make a series of implied narratives.

A half-clad prepubescent girl sits on a bed, her clothes in a tangle on the floor.

A maid looks at a book in a room she has cleaned.

One photograph of a suited man holding his head in grief echoes the controlled desperation of John Brack’s Collins St, 5pm (1955), which hangs in the background. The man is the artist’s husband, who had been watching a football game where his team lost – a very Melbourne experience.

A man in a hotel, his head in his hands.

Photography and the anthropocene

When Zahalka first visited New York’s Museum of Natural History, she remembered how Holden Caulfield in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye had admired the static quality of the painted dioramas acting as a background to examples of the taxidermists’ art.

She has since visited many natural history museums photographing, then manipulating, those heroic images of nature painted over a century ago. The placing of stuffed animals and birds in a painted wilderness gave city dwellers a sense of places they could never see.

In some images she has inserted tourists – the modern hobby of exploring the wilderness is another factor in its degradation.

Zahalka’s photographs both honour the unnamed artists of the past and comment on what is happening to the land in this age of the Anthropocene.

The water level on painted island scenes is changed to show the impact of rising tides from melting ice on a heating planet. Paintings of ancient rocks and clear streams have been modified to show the deep cracks and polluted streams from fracking.

They act as a warning: humanity continues to wreck what it claims to admire.

Some of the most powerful photographs in the series are of the Lord Howe Island diorama at the Australian Museum. In one version Zahalka has photographed it at full scale, in monochrome. This enables her to insert, in colour, the polluting plastics that attack the bird life. A real taxidermied bird, dissected to reveal the jewel-like plastics it had swallowed, is on a neighbouring stand.

Zahalka’s world

The full name of the current exhibition at the National Art School Gallery is ZAHALKAWORLD – an artist’s archive. It follows on from an earlier version of the exhibition at the Museum of Australian Photography in 2023.

In the centre of the top floor of this exhibition, Zahalka has created a room that is a three-dimensional photographic replica of her Kunstkammer : a complete archive of her work records.

Appropriately this also contains a small model of the room itself. Recording the past also entails recording the present, as that too will soon be a part of history.

ZAHALKAWORLD – an artist’s archive is at the National Art School Gallery, Sydney, until October 19 .

Photography
Australian art
National Art School
Visual art review
Visual art and design

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What Teachers Told Me About A.I. in School

By Jessica Grose

Opinion Writer

Leila Wheless, a North Carolina teacher who has been an educator since 1991, tried to keep “an open heart” about using artificial intelligence in her middle school English and language arts classroom. She reviewed the guidance of her state’s generative A.I. “ recommendations and considerations ” for public schools. But the results of her students’ A.I. use were dispiriting.

“For one particular assignment related to the novel ‘Persepolis,’ I had students research prophets,” Wheless explained, because the main character fantasizes about being a prophet. But, she told me via email, internet searches that incorporated A.I.:

Gave students jewels such as “the Christian prophet Moses got chocolate stains out of T-shirts” — I guess rather than Moses got water out of a rock(?). And let me tell you, eighth graders wrote that down as their response. They did not come up to me and ask, “Is that correct? Moses is known for getting chocolate stains out of T-shirts?” They simply do not have the background knowledge or indeed the intellectual stamina to question unlikely responses.

After I wrote a series in the spring about tech use in K-12 classrooms , I asked teachers about their experiences with A.I. because its ubiquity is fairly new and educators are just starting to figure out how to grapple with it. I spoke with middle school, high school and college instructors, and my overall takeaway is that while there are a few real benefits to using A.I. in schools — it can be useful in speeding up rote tasks like adding citations to essays and doing basic coding — the drawbacks are significant.

The biggest issue isn’t just that students might use it to cheat — students have been trying to cheat forever — or that they might wind up with absurdly wrong answers, like confusing Moses with Mr. Clean. The thornier problem is that when students rely on a generative A.I. tool like ChatGPT to outsource brainstorming and writing, they may be losing the ability to think critically and to overcome frustration with tasks that don’t come easily to them.

Sarah Martin, who teaches high school English in California, wrote to me saying, “Cheating by copying from A.I. is rampant, particularly among my disaffected seniors who are just waiting until graduation.”

When I followed up with her over the phone, she said that it’s getting more and more difficult to catch A.I. use because a savvier user will recognize absurdities and hallucinations and go back over what a chatbot spits out to make it read more as if the user wrote it herself. But what troubles Martin more than some students’ shrewd academic dishonesty is “that there’s just no grit that’s instilled in them. There’s no sense of ‘Yes, you’re going to struggle, but you’re going to feel good at the end of it.’”

She said that the amount of time her students are inclined to work on something that challenges them has become much shorter over the seven years she’s been teaching. There was a time, she said, when a typical student would wrestle with a concept for days before getting it. But now, if that student doesn’t understand something within minutes, he’s more likely to give up on his own brain power and look for an alternative, whether it’s a chatbot or asking a friend for help.

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IMAGES

The Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger
The Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Book Review: The Catcher in the Rye
Catcher in the Rye
Book Review- Catcher in the Rye

COMMENTS

The Catcher in the Rye Review: Salinger's Incredible Novel
Book Title: The Catcher in the Rye. Book Description: The Catcher in the Rye is J.D. Salinger's best-known work of fiction. In it, readers are exposed to the troubled mind of Holden Caulfield, a young man who has been expelled from several schools and is navigating the treacherous road between childhood and adulthood. Book Author: Jerome David ...
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Catcher in the Rye is an all-time classic in coming-of-age literature- an elegy to teenage alienation, capturing the deeply human need for connection and the bewildering sense of loss as we leave childhood behind. J.D. Salinger's (1919-2010) classic novel of teenage angst and rebellion was first published in 1951.
Read TIME's Original Review of The Catcher in the Rye
Here's the full review: THE CATCHER IN THE RYE (277 pp.)—J. D. Salinger—Little, Brown ($3). "Some of my best friends are children," says Jerome David Salinger, 32. "In fact, all of my ...
Book Review: The Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger
The teenage dilemma about the way life works, feelings of alienation and the struggle against the artificial world, everything is described meticulously in The Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger. The blunt, offensive language add more to the strong emotions of the protagonist. Book Review: The Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger
The Catcher in the Rye Book Review
This book is a textbook for adolescence and helps kids really grapple with the a. Positive Messages. Even though Holden sees the world as a cruel, lonely, and uncaring place, the bo. Positive Role Models. Holden is the real anti-hero of teen literature. Kids learn so much about what k.
Reading 'Catcher in the Rye' Today
100 Best Books of the 21st Century: As voted on by 503 novelists, nonfiction writers, poets, critics and other book lovers — with a little help from the staff of The New York Times Book Review.
The Catcher in the Rye
"Catcher in the Rye injected a fresh idiom into American literature. This happened several times in our literary history. Mark Twain in Huckleberry Finn and Ernest Hemingwayin The Sun Also Rises did the same - they brought the contemporary spoken language into literature.When Salinger invented Holden Caulfield he gave his voice such freshness and vibrancy.
The Catcher in the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye, novel by J.D. Salinger published in 1951. The novel details two days in the life of 16-year-old Holden Caulfield after he has been expelled from prep school.Confused and disillusioned, Holden searches for truth and rails against the "phoniness" of the adult world.He ends up exhausted and emotionally unstable. The events are related after the fact.
THE CATCHER IN THE RYE
THE CATCHER IN THE RYE. A strict report, worthy of sympathy. A violent surfacing of adolescence (which has little in common with Tarkington's earlier, broadly comic, Seventeen) has a compulsive impact. "Nobody big except me" is the dream world of Holden Caulfield and his first person story is down to the basic, drab English of the pre-collegiate.
The Catcher In The Rye by JD. Salinger
The Catcher in the Rye: J.D. Salinger's Iconic Coming-of-Age Novel Introduction. The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger's iconic coming-of-age novel, has captivated readers for generations with its raw, honest portrayal of teenage angst and alienation.Published in 1951, the book follows Holden Caulfield, a disillusioned 16-year-old, as he navigates the complexities of growing up and ...
Review: The Catcher in the Rye
The protagonist, despite his crude language, is amiable and charming and the book leaves you wanting to follow him through more of his escapades on his journey through adolescence. There is much controversy surrounding Catcher in the Rye; indeed Mark Chapman, convicted of John Lennon's assassination, had the book on him at the time of the ...
Review of Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Final Verdict. I think that one of the reasons this book may be a classic is that it's timeless. Though it was written in 1951, it feels fresh, as though it could have been written yesterday and in it, I feel Salinger expertly captures the mind and essence of a teenage boy, whether it be one in 1951 or 2018. The prose was beautiful and left ...
Read the very first reviews of The Catcher in the Rye
July 14, 2023, 11:51am. Seventy-two years ago this week, The Catcher in the Rye first hit bookshelves across the US, and people still have some pretty strong opinions about J. D. Salinger's groundbreaking debut. Die-hard fans and rabid haters are legion. Indeed, of all the mid-century American novels to stand the test of time, perhaps only On ...
Book Reviews: The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger ...
The hero-narrator of The Catcher in the Rye is an ancient child of sixteen, a native New Yorker named Holden Caulfield. Through circumstances that tend to preclude adult, secondhand description, he leaves his prep school in Pennsylvania and goes underground in New York City for three days.
Reviewers, Critics, and 'The Catcher in the Rye'
The Catcher in the Rye arrived to stay and is older now than most of its audience when they read it for the first time. That quarter century is ... Robert Gutwillig, "Everybody's Caught 'The Catcher in the Rye,' " The New York Times Book Review, Paperback Book Section, 15 January 1961, p. 38. 3. Alice Payne Hackett, 70 Years of Best Sellers ...
Review: The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger
J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye" is a classic novel that has captivated readers for decades. Published in 1951, the book follows the journey of Holden Caulfield, a teenage boy who has been expelled from his prep school and is struggling to find his place in the world.
Reviewing the classic: The Catcher in the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger in one the most popular classic novels out there. Now from what I have seen,the book gets a lot of mixed opinions, but I feel even though the novel is said to…
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Key Facts about The Catcher in the Rye. Title: The Catcher in the Rye. Published: 1951. Literary Period: Late Modernism. Genre: Bildungsroman (coming of age story) Point-of-View: First-person. Setting: Pennsylvania and New York in 1950. Climax: When Holden leaves Mr. Antolini's house and decides to run away. Antagonist: Adults and "fake ...
User Reviews
The fact this novel has received high ratings on this site shows the terrible decline of culture and decency in the US. This book is not appropriate for anyone. It is full of sex, violence, smoking, alcohol, and bad language. The fact that the novel follows the life of a struggling teen does not justify any of this content.
The Catcher in the Rye
When the girl, Sunny, arrives in his room, Holden feels more depressed than aroused. He pays Sunny for her time and sends her away without having sex, but Sunny and her pimp, Maurice, return to demand more money. Sunny takes an extra $5 from Holden's wallet. When Holden protests, Maurice punches him in the stomach.
Review: The Catcher in the Rye
The book failed to meet those (admittedly lofty) expectations. The Catcher in the Rye was originally published in 1951 and revolves around almost-high-school dropout Holden Caulfield at the Pencey Prep school in the fictional city of Agerstown, Pennsylvania.
The Catcher In The Rye: Book Review Essay
The Catcher In The Rye, written by J. D. Salinger, is a fictional novel that was first published in 1965. The novel takes place in New York City and in Pennsylvania over a duration of four days. This novel tells the story of an emotionally disturbed teenager who has been kicked out of a boarding school.
10 Books That Have Bad Reputations But Are Actually Really Good
It revolves around Holden Caulfield as he navigates society with his rebellious streak. Since its publication in 1951, The Catcher In The Rye has been on countless book ban lists. The book became even more controversial when David Chapman murdered John Lennon and cited The Catcher In The Rye as inspiration. In 2024, the book is considered ...
‎The Catcher in the Rye: Book summary on Apple Books
Book summary by Loudly, this is an abridged version of the original title. "The Catcher in the Rye" is a timeless classic that delves into the mind of Holden Caulfield, a disenchanted teenager navigating the complexities of adolescence in mid-20th century America. The narrative, rich with…
The stunning photographs of Australian artist Anne Zahalka: remembering
When Zahalka first visited New York's Museum of Natural History, she remembered how Holden Caulfield in J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye had admired the static quality of the painted ...
Opinion
Several English teachers told me that there are fewer accurate plot summaries about newer books, so it's harder to get generative A.I. to write a good essay about a book written in 2023 than ...

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