I can see the appeal of the book; It is written from a very callous perspective, that reflects the inner thoughts of a teenager. Where many books try to overplay the teenage tragedies that are associate with maturing, this book captures its nature while still being entertaining. The way J.D. Salinger combines the clearly fictional story with a realistic outlook and reaction. While I can appreciate the book itself, it is not something that I would read again. Though the perspective is realistic, I find that it can be overly sad/depressing. I read this book as part of my English Curriculum and as someone who genuinely enjoys English and loves finding symbolism and literary motifs in literature, this book was one of the few books that I did not enjoy reading. Many regard it as an amazing work of literature, and though I see where that opinion is coming from, this book was not my cup of tea. Not only was the plot a bit dreary even the language itself felt uninspired. I think if you are the type of person who values an honest perspective on teenage struggles, and not the overly contrived and cliche situations, then I would recommend this book for you. However, if you are looking for a light-hearted book about adolescence I’d be quicker to recommend To Kill A Mockingbird than The Catcher In The Rye. In the end that is my opinion of it, and I know many others tend to have a much more positive opinion. I would recommend giving this book a try but take all the positive reviews out there with a grain of salt.
About This Book
The "brilliant, funny, meaningful novel" (The New Yorker) that established J. D. Salinger as a leading voice in American literature--and that has instilled in millions of readers around the world a lifelong love of books.
"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."
The hero-narrator of The Catcher in the Rye is an ancient child of sixteen, a native New Yorker named Holden Caufield. Through circumstances that tend to preclude adult, secondhand description, he leaves his prep school in Pennsylvania and goes underground in New York City for three days.
Reviews
Anonymous
An Honest Book That Might Be To Honest
Anonymous
An Honest Book That Might Be To Honest
I can see the appeal of the book; It is written from a very callous perspective, that reflects the inner thoughts of a teenager. Where many books try to overplay the teenage tragedies that are associate with maturing, this book captures its nature while still being entertaining. The way J.D. Salinger combines the clearly fictional story with a realistic outlook and reaction. While I can appreciate the book itself, it is not something that I would read again. Though the perspective is realistic, I find that it can be overly sad/depressing. I read this book as part of my English Curriculum and as someone who genuinely enjoys English and loves finding symbolism and literary motifs in literature, this book was one of the few books that I did not enjoy reading. Many regard it as an amazing work of literature, and though I see where that opinion is coming from, this book was not my cup of tea. Not only was the plot a bit dreary even the language itself felt uninspired. I think if you are the type of person who values an honest perspective on teenage struggles, and not the overly contrived and cliche situations, then I would recommend this book for you. However, if you are looking for a light-hearted book about adolescence I’d be quicker to recommend To Kill A Mockingbird than The Catcher In The Rye. In the end that is my opinion of it, and I know many others tend to have a much more positive opinion. I would recommend giving this book a try but take all the positive reviews out there with a grain of salt.
Anonymous
The Catcher in the Rye
In J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, the main character Holden Caufield, goes through many changes that spring him into the undesirable world of adulthood. He believes in the protection of the innocent, as he fears people like his little sister have already lost it. Holden goes through a journey starting when he got kicked uot of Pencey Prep for his failing grades. He meets this stripper named Sunny, who was close to his age. He then realizes people like Sunny have already lost their innocence and have no way of getting what was lost. He then see people like his sister, who desire adulthood and growing up. This is seen by her grown up bedroom, and her big desk. She is different from Holden, as Holden wants to be the Catcher in the Rye, holding and pushing kids away from the steep cliff of adulthood. In my opinion, Bradbury's novel about the loss of innocence was a very interesting book, as it brings the inevitable moment to life. Holden's unrealistic dream of bringing kids away from the cliff of adulthood is unrealistic and impossible, as he proves that he is unable to save even himself. The journey Holden goes through is one that all go through, but his description of his experiences make us sympathize with him, and make us beleive he is doing this out of the kindness of his own heart.
