book review catcher in the rye

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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Parents' guide to, the catcher in the rye.

Common Sense Says
Parents Say 34 Reviews
Kids Say 110 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

One of the greatest novels of the 20th century.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 14+?

As one would expect from the 1950s setting, nearly everyone in this story drinks

Near constant mild to moderate swearing, with a few instances of "f--k." Holden

Teens think about sex. The sex here isn't explicit, but there are sexual referen

Teen boys express themselves with violence at times. Holden is punched several t

Any Positive Content?

This book is a textbook for adolescence and helps kids really grapple with the a

Even though Holden sees the world as a cruel, lonely, and uncaring place, the bo

Holden is the real anti-hero of teen literature. Kids learn so much about what k

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

As one would expect from the 1950s setting, nearly everyone in this story drinks mixed drinks and smokes, both to excess. Holden gets quite drunk in one scene. But none of this is gratuitous: A) Some of the smoking relates to the time in which the book was written, and b) getting drunk is a huge rite of passage for kids and thus it's critically important to explore in literature. There is also an instance in which Holden overhears a story about someone attempting to commit suicide by taking aspirin.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Near constant mild to moderate swearing, with a few instances of "f--k." Holden throws out the word "goddam" when referring to objects and events he feels strongly about. The language makes the book relatable for teens.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Teens think about sex. The sex here isn't explicit, but there are sexual references: Holden thinks, worries about, and talks about sex frequently and believes some of his teen friends to have had sex. In one scene, out of loneliness he agrees to have a prostitute visit his hotel room but then only wants to talk to her and ends up humiliated. In another he sees a couple engaged in foreplay and a man dressing up in women's clothes. Compared to today's TV and movie fare, sexual references in this book are tame.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

Teen boys express themselves with violence at times. Holden is punched several times and remembers a boy at his boarding school who committed suicide by jumping out a window.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Educational Value

This book is a textbook for adolescence and helps kids really grapple with the anxieties of being a teen. See our "Families Can Talk About" section for some ideas for helping your kids delve more deeply into this classic.

Positive Messages

Even though Holden sees the world as a cruel, lonely, and uncaring place, the book offers a way for kids to delve safely into the real issues at the heart of being an adolescent. Some of the best books use anti-heroes to teach their lessons -- this book is exhibit A.

Positive Role Models

Holden is the real anti-hero of teen literature. Kids learn so much about what kind of people they want to be by living through his actions and dilemmas. They can relate to Holden, who is on the verge of a breakdown and behaves bizarrely at times, including lying quite a bit. He runs away from school and lives on his own in New York City for several days. Although his behavior is often rather extreme, Holden's character lets kids examine their own as well as their insight into the world of adolescence and adulthood.

Parents need to know that this book remains one of the best books about adolescence ever written. Any language used -- and it is chock full of mild to moderate swearing, and "f--k" is used several times -- is in the service of being true to the nature of a rebellious teen. There are also lots of sexual references, and everyone smokes and drinks -- including the underage protagonist. Holden refers to homosexuals as "flits." People have used these instances in an effort to have the book banned. But those who would do so miss the point of the book, which is a compassionate tale of a child adrift in the world. It's an American classic that everyone should read.

Where to Read

Parent and kid reviews.

Parents say (34)
Kids say (110)

Based on 34 parent reviews

Not For Classroom Instruction

A different take, what's the story.

Holden Caulfield, about to be kicked out of yet another boarding school for flunking most of his courses, decides not to wait until the end of term and takes off for his hometown, Manhattan, a few days early. He figures he'll hole up in a cheap hotel, look up a few friends, then arrive home on time. But Holden is deeply troubled by the death of his beloved younger brother from leukemia, as well as a classmate's suicide. Alone in an uncaring city, his already fragile psyche begins to unravel.

Is It Any Good?

Holden Caulfield holds a place in the American psyche akin to Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer: an exquisitely rendered character with whom nearly anyone can identify. There are three true things that can be said about J.D. Salinger's masterpiece: It is one of the great works of American literature, it is one of the most frequently challenged by would-be book-banners, and, therefore, it is one of the most misunderstood books of the 20th century. It has been challenged and banned for all of the reasons mentioned above in the content advisories. But those who challenge it fail to see the forest for the little swearword trees. They have called Holden a cynical teenager, when in fact he's such a compassionate innocent abroad that he can hardly cope with the cynical world at all: He's so innocent and so alone that he tries to get a prostitute to just chat and keep him company (alas, no heart of gold here). Desperately lonely, adrift in what seems to him an uncaring world, he has been through some terrible experiences, and no one at all seems to have noticed that he's crumbling.

It's true that much of it is somewhat dated now. Yet there's a reason this book has stayed in print, is stocked in nearly every bookstore, and has been assigned in nearly every high school for the past 60-plus years: Its emotional power and poignancy are still as strong as ever, and Holden's inner self is just as recognizable to teens today as it has ever been. This is one of those books that everyone should read as a teen. At a time (1951) when "teen" and "adolescent" were barely concepts in the American mind, Salinger captured the adolescent voice and way of thinking more perfectly -- and more poignantly -- than just about anyone before or since.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the ways in which the content of the book, which is set in New York City in the early 1950s, might be considered dated by today's standards. How are Holden's experiences different from those of a modern teenager? If there are differences, are there also things in Holden's world that have largely stayed the same in terms of teenage life?

Do you relate to Holden in any way? Do you admire him, or do you pity him? Or is it a little of both?

Why do you think this book is considered so important -- and why do you think it's been one of the most frequently challenged books when it comes to censorship?

Book Details

Author : J. D. Salinger
Genre : Literary Fiction
Book type : Fiction
Publisher : Little, Brown and Company
Publication date : December 31, 1969
Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 17
Number of pages : 214
Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), iBooks, Kindle
Last updated : August 2, 2021

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

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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, 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...

The best books on Boyhood and Growing Up

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

Jay McInerney , Novelist

Other books by J D Salinger

Nine stories by j d salinger, our most recommended books, dracula by bram stoker, jane eyre by charlotte brontë, middlemarch by george eliot, beloved by toni morrison, war and peace by leo tolstoy, great expectations by charles dickens.

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The Literary Edit

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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Submitting a book for review, write the editor, you are here:, the catcher in the rye.

About the Book

Since its publication in 1951, this novel is the coming-of-age story of Holden Caulfield --- whose four-day "odyssey" leaves him broken by society yet still compassionate. Read and cherished by generations, THE CATCHER IN THE RYE is one of America's literary treasures.

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

Publication Date: January 30, 2001
Genres: Fiction
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Back Bay Books
ISBN-10: 0316769177
ISBN-13: 9780316769174

A Summary and Analysis of J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

The Catcher in the Rye is one of the most influential American novels published in the mid-twentieth century. Upon its publication in 1951, J. D. Salinger’s only full-length novel became something of a cult, helping to inspire the Beat Generation and powerfully capturing a moment in American cultural history.

Salinger had worked on the manuscript for a number of years: he had drafts of The Catcher in the Rye in his backpack when he fought at D-Day in 1944.

But why did The Catcher in the Rye become such a cult classic, and why does it remain so widely revered and studied? Before we offer an analysis of the novel, here’s a brief recap of its plot.

The Catcher in the Rye : plot summary

The novel is narrated by sixteen-year-old Holden Caulfield, who has been expelled from his elite school, Pencey Prep, for not doing any work. He visits his history teacher, Mr Spencer, at his home where the teacher is unwell. However, Mr Spencer annoys Holden when he wants to go through the body’s mistakes so he can learn why he has failed.

Holden then goes back to his dorm room, where another student, Ackley, and Holden’s roommate Stradlater turn up. Holden learns that Stradlater has a date with a girl he had fallen in love with the previous year, but agrees to write an English composition for his roommate so Stradlater has his evening free to go on the date.

However, later that evening when Stradlater returns from his date, Holden grows jealous, and the two of them fight, with Holden losing.

Although he is supposed to remain at the boarding school until the end of term, Holden decides to take off immediately, travelling to New York on the train with the mother of one of his classmates; he entertains her (and himself) by making up outlandish stories about how popular her son is at school. Then he checks into a hotel in New York, because he wants to avoid going home and telling his parents he has been expelled.

He visits a nightclub, and, back at his hotel room, arranges for a prostitute named Sunny to come to his room. But when the virginal Holden reveals he just wants to talk to her, she leaves, returning with her pimp, who demands more money from him before attacking him, while Sunny takes money out of Holden’s wallet.

To cheer himself up the next day, Holden phones a girl he knows named Sally Hayes, and, even though he considers her a phoney, they arrange to see a play at the theatre. It is while he is on his way to meet Sally, while purchasing a record for his sister Phoebe, that Holden hears a boy singing ‘If a body catch a body coming through the rye’.

After the play, Holden and Sally go ice skating, but Holden scares Sally away by suggesting they go and live in the woods.

Next, Holden meets Carl Luce, an old schoolfriend, for a drink in a bar. Once again, Holden ends up annoying someone, this time by taking an unusual level of interest in Carl’s love life. Holden gets drunk and goes to Central Park, before going home to see Phoebe, avoiding alerting his parents to the fact he has returned. Phoebe works out that Holden is home because he’s been expelled from school, and Holden tells Phoebe his dream of being ‘the catcher in the rye’ (of which more below).

Holden escapes the family home when his parents arrive back at the house, and goes to visit another former teacher of his, Mr Antolini, who taught him English. Antolini is worried about Holden and, like Mr Spencer, wants Holden to focus and make something of himself. He does, however, let Holden stay the night, though things take a dark turn when Holden wakes up to discover Mr Antolini patting his head and interprets this as an inappropriate advance. He leaves, passing the rest of the night at Grand Central Station.

The next day, he decides to leave society and go and live in seclusion in a log cabin. When Phoebe hears of his plan, she wants to go with him, but Holden refuses to let her. He takes her to the zoo and buys her a ride on the carousel to make it up to her, and the two share a happy moment. The novel ends with Holden confiding to us that he has met with his parents and agreed to start at a new school in September. The brief holiday, the youthful rebellion, is over.

The Catcher in the Rye : analysis

The opening lines of the novel see Holden Caulfield, and Salinger through him, signalling a departure from and rejection of the kind of nineteenth-century Bildungsroman novel charting one young character’s journey from childhood into adulthood. Caulfield also doesn’t want to join the ranks of adulthood – he views adults as more ‘phoney’ and suspicious than most children – and instead wishes to preserve the innocence of childhood, as the novel’s title makes clear (of which more in a moment).

But if Caulfield turns away from the Victorian novel embodied by Dickens’s David Copperfield , Salinger’s novel does look back to a different nineteenth-century literary tradition – but an American one rather than British.

As critics have often remarked, The Catcher in the Rye shares some useful parallels with Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), the novel which Ernest Hemingway named as the start of American literature.

Like Huck Finn, Holden Caulfield (his very name containing a number of faint echoes of Twain’s character’s name) narrates his own story in his own idiom, using a colloquial and down-to-earth tone to document his retreat from the society around him.

But whereas Finn heads into the free world of nature, Caulfield retreats further into the city, burrowing into New York with its vices and dangers. He wishes to seek out the real city – not the ‘phoney’ world he has inhabited until now.

At the same time, Caulfield is more of a romantic than a realist: he dreams of escaping the modern city in favour of a simple, honest rustic life, a cabin in the woods (a very Walden -inspired dream), and the love of a good woman. Like the Romantic movement – seen in the poetry of Wordsworth and Coleridge – he privileges childhood innocence over the fallen world of adulthood, and seems to think it’s a shame that anyone has to grow up at all.

And this is the explanation behind the novel’s title: Caulfield’s (largely imaginary) take on a line from a Robert Burns poem, ‘ Comin’ thro’ the Rye ’, which prompts him to envision a field of rye near a cliff, where his job would be to catch any children playing in the field and straying too close to the cliff-edge – hence The Catcher in the Rye .

But his idyllic vision of perpetual childhood is founded on a misunderstanding: Phoebe points out to him that he has misremembered (or rather, misheard) the line from Burns’s poem, which actually asks, ‘Gin [i.e., if] a body meet a body / Comin thro’ the rye’, rather than if a body catch a body, which is how Caulfield heard the line rendered when he heard the boy singing it earlier that day.

When he visits Phoebe’s school to say goodbye, he is charmingly but also puritanically offended that a swearword has been scrawled on the walls, corrupting the innocence of childhood. The problem with Holden’s character – which, thanks to Salinger’s masterly control of the teenager’s voice, is engaging and authentic – is that he thinks all adults are somehow lesser than children, and his belief in the primacy of childhood leads him to reduce adults to ‘phonies’ and teachers who don’t understand him.

In his two encounters with his former teachers – whom, suggestively, he seeks out himself, implying that on some level he wants them to set him on the right path to maturity – he views the first as annoying and the second as a possible sex predator. His innocence is appealing but also, as innocence is always in danger of being, founded on an overly simplistic view of the world.

The late, great literary critic Frank Kermode once described The Catcher in the Rye as having a ‘built-in death wish’, and a Freudian analysis of Salinger’s novel might analyse Caulfield’s desire to flee from adult society with its responsibilities and challenges into an earlier childhood stage of innocence as symptomatic of his unconscious desire to return to the womb. He appears to envy his dead brother, Allie, to an unwholesome degree.

And that title, The Catcher in the Rye , is emblematic of the novel as a whole, since Holden’s fantasy of catching children before they fall off a cliff might be analysed as a symbol of his desire to prevent himself, and other children, from falling off the cliff off childhood into the abyss of adulthood, with all of its phoniness and, yes, responsibilities.

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6 thoughts on “A Summary and Analysis of J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye”

Plus Holden’s outlook is relentlessly middle class and it remains relatively unchanged by his experiences in the course of the novel. Catcher deserves some credit for being a groundbreaker, but there is not a great deal of difference between Holden and Jimmy in Robert Gover’s One Hundred Dollar Misunderstanding, and while Misunderstanding is clearly aimed at a more popular audience, I would not rate Catcher as significantly superior in literary terms.

It’s about 45 years since I read Catcher in the Rye, so probably about time I revisited it. My one strong memory is that, although Holden might be supremely irritating, he redeemed himself by his kindness to his little sister. I think most 16-year old boys would die rather than be seen out with a younger sister.

It was the first visceral novel for me–where I felt like the main character Holden did not just jump off the page but very nearly put his arms around me and tried to strangle me. Back then mostly found Holden scary or specifically disturbing in how volatile he was especially toward women. Still I liked Salinger’s master of prose and read all of his work. Cut to years later, I read the prequel via the internet “An Ocean Full of Bowling Balls.” And I know Salinger did not want it released but I think it adds a lot of context especially where the character of Kenneth/renamed Allie is concerned–I think it could have saved Salinger a lot the questions he became tired of answering/addressing re: theories about Holden–was Holden the embodiment of him–back in high school I would have said yes. After the reading the prequel I say no. And just my opinion, but I think the novel took on on a dark stigma–our class read it after the shooting of John Lennon and a lot of this that became also associated/iconic and distracting from the original story — I think that could have been avoided if he released the prequel, but again that is just my opinion.

Notwithstanding an entirely different culture I grew in, the book hit me with the force of a comet, perhaps because I was the same age as Holden’s when I read it, and that was such a long time ago. The analysis is extensive even though it is brief and I realise it has hit the core.

Fascinating to think that in reality the author, Salinger, took in a much younger, naive woman as his lover and then discarded her a short time later. Was it old JD that really didn’t want to face adulthood and all the responsibilities that go with it, including moral, legal, and ethical ones? Don’t admire him or his works at all.

Is childhood’s innocence phoniness aborning? In most cases it’s ignorance leading into experience. Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” is a much cleaner treatment of the theme and Joyce’s “Araby” much more nuanced. Holden is every bit the phony he criticizes.

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

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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Book Review

The catcher in the rye.

J.D. Salinger
Coming-of-Age

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.

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The Catcher in the Rye

J. d. salinger.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

The Catcher in the Rye: Introduction

The catcher in the rye: plot summary, the catcher in the rye: detailed summary & analysis, the catcher in the rye: themes, the catcher in the rye: quotes, the catcher in the rye: characters, the catcher in the rye: symbols, the catcher in the rye: literary devices, the catcher in the rye: theme wheel, brief biography of j. d. salinger.

Historical Context of The Catcher in the Rye

Other books related to the catcher in the rye.

Full Title: The Catcher in the Rye
When Published: 1951
Literary Period: Modern American
Genre: Bildungsroman
Setting: Agerstown, Pennsylvania and Manhattan, New York in 1950
Climax: After he wakes up to find Mr. Antolini stroking his forehead, Holden jumps up and hastily leaves Mr. Antolini’s apartment.
Antagonist: Stradlater, phonies, adulthood, and change

Extra Credit for The Catcher in the Rye

The Censor in the Rye. Many critics dismissed the book as trash due to its healthy helping of four-letter words and sexual situations, and even as recently as 2010, The Catcher in the Rye was banned in school districts in Washington, Ohio, Florida and Michigan.

Film Rights. Although many directors and screenwriters have wanted to adapt The Catcher in the Rye as a film over the years, J.D. Salinger never sold the rights, thus making it impossible for the movie to be made.

Quizzes, saving guides, requests, plus so much more.

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 .

The Catcher in the Rye Review

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Book Review: The Catcher in the Rye

By Delia Burke, Staff Writer

*Spoiler Warning*

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is an intriguing, symbolic novel that’s filled with unexpected twists and turns. The story follows sixteen year old Holden Caulfield, who was recently expelled from his boarding school – he decides to go to New York City two days earlier than he was supposed to, due to his expulsion. It shows his days in the city, and truly encapsulates the reality of adulthood.

Throughout the novel, he slowly comprehends the fact that being an adult isn’t as glamorous as it seems, and by his second day in the city he goes home to his younger sister, Phoebe. He tells her of the events in the city, and explains he had heard a boy singing the lyrics, “If a body catch a body comin’ thro the rye,” on the street and how it had given him a fantasy to be a catcher in the rye, catching kids before they fall off a cliff into adulthood. This fully displays Holden’s mindset, and his focus on preserving childlike states and ideas to help shelter them from a more practical- and more difficult world. Phoebe explains to him that the lyric is in fact, “If a body meets a body comin’ thro the rye.” This realization captures just how set Holden is on his ideology and opinions.

The next day he asks his sister to meet him at the zoo during her lunch. They meet at the zoo, and as he watches his sister as she goes on the carousel, he finds himself comforted with how happy and free she is riding on the carousel, and says he could almost cry. From there, it flashes to him being held in an unspecified facility, and you realize the whole novel is a flashback of his memory of the winter before.

Throughout this novel, what really struck me was that Holden’s character never developed the way most characters do. He kept his opinions, and, if anything, took his events in the city as a confirmed bias. Holden’s character is so well thought out and the symbolism is present in every inch of his psyche. Even his name has a meaning: Holden can be heard or seen as “hold- on.” His last name, Caufield, contains “caul,” the membrane that protects a baby. This could mean to hold on to the field that protects his innocence.

The story primarily focuses on the topic of loss of innocence, as does Holden. He is happiest when Phoebe truly embraces her age while on the carousel, as he reflects on the effect it had on him. The writing in this story keeps you interested and makes it hard to put the book down, and even after finishing it, it keeps you contemplating it, and you truly realize just how much symbolism there is. This story has stuck with me even after reading it years ago because the story not only shows the worries teenagers have about growing up, but displays it in such a way that your mind stays with it, analyzing it for years after.

This story still has such immense importance to today’s society, because it demonstrates how worrying about the future and trying to prevent it will only make it seem like it comes faster. The pandemic caused so many teenagers, and even adults, to question the future and stress over what they should do next, and a book like this can remind us that instead of running from change, you should embrace and prepare for it.

J.D. Salinger’s writing is close to genius. I highly recommend this story to people who like to analyze or look deeper into things. This story has a lesson that’s important to hear, and has the crucial reminder that you can’t control the future, no matter how much you try.

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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 ...
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 ...
The Catcher in the Rye Book Review
Holden is punched several times and remembers a boy at his boarding school who committed suicide by jumping out a window. Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide. This book is a textbook for adolescence and helps kids really grapple with the anxieties of being a teen.
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 ...
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.
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 ...
The Catcher in the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye is a novel by American author J. D. Salinger that was partially published in serial form in 1945-46 before being novelized in 1951. ... while James Stern wrote an admiring review of the book in a voice imitating Holden's. [28] George H. W. Bush called it a "marvelous book," listing it among the books that inspired him. [29]
The Catcher in the Rye
by J. D. Salinger. Publication Date: January 30, 2001. Genres: Fiction. Paperback: 288 pages. Publisher: Back Bay Books. ISBN-10: 0316769177. ISBN-13: 9780316769174. Excerpt. Since its publication in 1951, this novel is the coming-of-age story of Holden Caulfield --- whose four-day "odyssey" leaves him broken by society yet still compassionate.
A Summary and Analysis of J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye: plot summary. The novel is narrated by sixteen-year-old Holden Caulfield, who has been expelled from his elite school, Pencey Prep, for not doing any work. He visits his history teacher, Mr Spencer, at his home where the teacher is unwell. However, Mr Spencer annoys Holden when he wants to go through the body's ...
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 ...
Book Review: The Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger
Book Review: The Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger. 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 Catcher in the Rye
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 ...
The Catcher in the Rye Study Guide
Full Title: The Catcher in the Rye. When Published: 1951. Literary Period: Modern American. Genre: Bildungsroman. Setting: Agerstown, Pennsylvania and Manhattan, New York in 1950. Climax: After he wakes up to find Mr. Antolini stroking his forehead, Holden jumps up and hastily leaves Mr. Antolini's apartment.
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 ...
The Catcher in the Rye Critical Overview
Mixed reviews greeted J. D. Salinger's first novel, The Catcher in the Rye, published on July 16, 1951.New York Times critic Nash K. Burger, for example, lauded the book as "an unusually brilliant ...
Book Review: The Catcher in the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is an intriguing, symbolic novel that's filled with unexpected twists and turns. The story follows sixteen year old Holden Caulfield, who was recently expelled from his boarding school - he decides to go to New York City two days earlier than he was supposed to, due to his expulsion.
The Catcher in the Rye in popular culture
The 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger has had a lasting influence [1] [2] as it remains both a bestseller [3] and a frequently challenged book. [3] [4] Numerous works in popular culture have referenced the novel.[5] [6] Factors contributing to the novel's mystique and impact include its portrayal of protagonist Holden Caulfield; [1] its tone of sincerity; [1] its themes of ...

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

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