The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is is a great book about finding your identity along all the conflict. The first-person narrative, Bildungsroman Novel was written based in the early 50’s.The main Character, Holden Caulfield was a young man who struggled in all subjects besides English which was the cause of him having to end up in Pencey prep, his fourth school. The death of his brother, Allie left him traumatized. It lead to him having serious psychological issues and a problem with lying to everyone along with thinking and claiming they are all a “phony”.
Holden struggled stepping up mentally. He partially wanted to associate himself with others in a mature way but a part of him pulled away from the adult world calling it a “phony”. Due to Holden’s search for self identity, he realizes that his innocence is what is holding him back.
I would rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars being that, Holden finally found his true identity even though he was lost and isolated and the journey he took to get back on his feet was inspiring. I would recommend this book to teens 13 and older due to the adult language, drug use, and prostitution involved in the book. A more mature mind would handle the information more carefully.

I've just finished reading The Catcher In The Rye. To begin with, I found it undoubtedly tricky to feel engaged and keep wanting to persevere with the book - probably because it is like nothing I have ever read before. The writing style is extremely unique, however the further you delve into the books the more aware you become of what certain things represent. The Catcher In Rye is absolutely brimming with symbolism, and I personally interpreted the main themes to be growing up, self-protection and lies. I found that there was never really any main event - the book just consists of pointless encounters in Holden Caulfield, the controversial main characters', life. At first I found this rather tedious, as usually in books I read there is a build-up and then something shocking and dramatic occurs. However, I soon came to realize that the briskness and lack of depth in the encounters featured in the book actually mean something. It, to me, represents the way Holden sees life. I can't say I didn't enjoy seeing things from Caulfield's perspective - as he is both witty and hateful, which I found undeniably intriguing. Overall, I can say that this book is rightfully called a classic and one of the best novels American Literature has ever produced, and I would not dare to label it any less. It just takes time to really digest and get to know Holden, and once the motifs become clearer, the story itself becomes a whole lot more enjoyable.

Reader reviewed by VFang

I thought this book was really good. Holden struggles with so much and is just a great character to read. I loved how he was trying to find his way in a world that he saw as so unmoral and unfair. JD Salinger  doesnt hold back as he shows a broad spectrum of character flaws in both Holden and the people around him. I think it is a great coming of age story. A book I would recommend that everyone read at some point in their lives. Its definitely not one that everyone will like but hey cant please everyone.
PS.Just a random fact the guy who killed John Lennon, Mark Chapman read and emulated Holden alot. And actually set down and started to read the book again right after killing John Lennon.(Just a random fact I thought I'd include)

Reader reviewed by Megan

Holden Caulfield tells us part of his story in Catcher in the Rye. At sixteen years of age, Holden has already been kicked out of three schools, when he gets kicked out of the fourth one. Instead of waiting until the Christmas holidays to go home, he leaves school early and goes to New York. Although a very big part of the book centers on his complaining, you eventually realize that he is in a mental facility undergoing treatment while he is telling his story. The Catcher in the Rye is a book that every person should read at one point or another.

Reader reviewed by Tara

The book didn't make much sence at first;it just seemed very dry and unintresting. The only reason I picked up the book is becuase I heard a lot of hipe about it. It took a week after I had read the book to understand it. I realized how much of it applied to real life. It shows the more a society pushes an individual to conform, the more he will hate and rebel against that society.I give the book a 8 out of 10 on my scale of books to read. The only thing is the end could have had a little more to it.