The Catcher in the Rye

The book was in poor condition. The pages were brown and stained. This is the 3rd time I've reviewed this product. Please don't send again. Terri

I love this little book. And I am not completely sure why. No, it is not the most engaging and brilliant of stories. It's simply a rambling journey of 16 year old Holden-and his subsequent misadventures. Would I have liked a guy like Holden in high school back in the day? Probably not! But the genius of this little story is the way Salinger brings the reader into his world. His observations--his encounters with others--his needs and wishes. In spite of myself, my heart melts as I read along. Maybe this is why so many generations read this highly popular tale (going on 60 years) of the forever teenage Holden.

It's a must-read, but for something more contemporary (and a powerful story) I wholeheartedly recommend the hilarious, SIM0N LAZARUS--a little-known treasure.

This book is one of those books that every kid at age 15 should read. It may seem to have subjects that kids shouldn't be exposed to but let's not kid ourselves. Children these days just seem smarter and capable of more and more each day. If they are exposed to such adult topics as adult social interaction, violence, alcohol and broken homes in the world of superbly crafted literature it would do nothing but broaden their understanding of reality and the world around them a hundred times over. They are going to seek out or happen across these topics as the world is getting smaller and smaller so why not allow it under favorable conditions? This book represents a very meaninful moment in my childhood: a day that I grew up a little.

In the beginning, I admit I did not like Holden Caulfield. I felt I couldn't relate to him. After the first 15 chapters that changed. I realized that, boy oh boy, I am way too much like Holden Caulfield. So much that I almost want to post a list of how we are alike, but that is not the point of reviews and I doubt it would be interesting reading. There are few eye-opening moments in Catcher in the Rye. The line that most sticks in my head is this, " 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 will be honest, lines don't really stick in my head and this one doesn't either, but its meaning does.
I can understand why this book is a classic. There is so much that I don't think I fully grasp everything yet; it is one of those books I think should be reread every so often. I wouldn't have read this book if not for Nerdfighters' Blurbing Book Club, so I thank author John Green for picking it.

I've read Catcher several times and though it doesn't stand out in my mind as a favorite novel, every time I read it I rediscover how much I enjoy it. I give Catcher five stars because Holden's character holds my interest until the very end. Salinger gives him a complexity that makes him neither saint nor sinner. The reader isn't necessarily going to like Holden, but he isn't someone you'd want to hate either. I think anyone who enjoys people-watching will find Catcher offers plenty to keep the reader entertained with its parade of characters and never dull rantings of Holden at his darkest time.