The Catcher in the Rye
by J.D. Salinger
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Book Summary Information
Author: J.D. SalingerEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2001-01-30
ISBN: 0316769177
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: Back Bay Books
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780316769174
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Book Reviews of The Catcher in the Rye
Book Review: concise work of genius
Summary: 5 Stars
Holden Caulfield has just been kicked out, yet again, of a preparatory school which his father, a hot-shot corporate lawyer, has selected for him. Holden is a pathological lawyer, he smokes like crazy, and he prefers the peak of his brand-new red hunting cap to be facing backward, not forward. Holden begins wandering around New York City, buying time before the date comes when his parents will be expecting him.
Such are the plot details, and the wonderful character painting, that this wonderful little novel unveils early in its course. The Catcher is a fast-paced and an easy read, two qualities which typically don't go along with works of literature. Is the Catcher a work of literature? The answer is an unqualified yes. Salinger has accomplished an amazing feat by relaying his story through the first-person narrative of our protagonist, and the writing is complete with Holden's idiosyncratic jargon and constant lacings of profanity. Yet what makes the writing so remarkable is that we know exactly what Holden is talking about it, even though his slang can be a little confusing at times.
Still, what makes this little gem a literary genius is not its exceptional writing, but its wide appealing cultural value. I think it would be immature and cliched to call this a "coming of age" book (even though it is one), or to talk about Holden's prototypical "teenage angst". In my opinion, this novel finds its far-reaching appeal because it speaks to the heart of us all. We all get discouraged (and even disgusted) by the faults that we see in society, and in human nature in general (for example, the "phoniness" which Holden sees as near ubiquitous). Nevertheless, all of us have to make decisions, just like Holden does, as to what direction we choose to walk in life.
A final note. I loved this book and found myself laughing out loud throughout many parts of the book. Nonetheless, I wouldn't be surprised if this novel isn't everyone's cup of tea. I suspect that some readers will have a tough time relating to some of Holden's observations (after all, those "phonies" that Holden constantly criticizes include us). In addition, Holden's cynical, near sourpuss attitude (along with his profanity) may be a turn-off to some. I still suggest that you at least give this novel a try.
Summary of The Catcher in the Rye
Ever since it was first published in 1951, this novel has been the coming-of-age story against which all others are judged. Read and cherished by generations, the story of Holden Caulfield is truly one of America's literary treasures.Since his debut in 1951 as The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield has been synonymous with "cynical adolescent." Holden narrates the story of a couple of days in his sixteen-year-old life, just after he's been expelled from prep school, in a slang that sounds edgy even today and keeps this novel on banned book lists. It begins,
"If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. In the first place, that stuff bores me, and in the second place, my parents would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told anything pretty personal about them."
His constant wry observations about what he encounters, from teachers to phonies (the two of course are not mutually exclusive) capture the essence of the eternal teenage experience of alienation.
Salinger, J.D. Books
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