The Catcher in the Rye

Product Details

Author : J.d Salinger
Binding : Mass Market Paperback
EAN : 9780316769488
Edition : 1
Number of Pages : 224
Product Group : Book
Publication Date : 1991-05-01
Publisher : Little Brown and Company

ASIN : 0316769487

Customers who bought this goods also bought.

Editorial Reviews

From Amazon.com

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.

Customer Reviews

That's how I experienced it. (2008-01-13)

I have a divided opinion about the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D.Salinger. On the one hand I have to admit that it gives the reader a very good insight into the world of a depressed teenager living in a world he doesn't want to accept. Holden Caulfield is a very sensitive boy and there are parts of the novel in which I can understand him very well. most of these parts are at the beginning of the novel. On the other hand I didn't like the book too much, because after I read half of it I started to hate Holden Caulfiel and as he is the main character, this was a real problem. I regard Holden as very naive: He judges almost everybody in his environment by calling them phony. For him this is the most negative quality a person can have, but he also behaves phony in so many situations. Furthermore Holden is such a pessimist that I could hardly bear it. And because Holden always repeats himself the novel was a bit boring in some parts. Summing up I can say that The Catcher in the Rye is probably a book that one should have read to be able to have a say in a discussion about it. And maybe with this novel it is like with very depressing songs: It depends on your own mood whether you like it. If the reader is in a good mood while reading it, Holden's emotions seem to be so far away that it is not very interesting to read on.Help raise awareness; support cancer research!

Is the world really this bad? (2007-12-01)

Are people really as fake, dishonest, and downright nasty as Holden seems to think they are? I suppose the answer lies in the eye of the beholder, but Holden sure uses a lot of cuss words in telling you his opinion! Basically, the book is a long diatribe of an angst-filled teenager against the perceived woes of the world, and I actually agree with a good deal of what Holden has to say. Holden is an especially insightful and perceptive teenager as well, adding to the story and making it relevant to readers of all ages. An obvious point is that the book is most likely autobiographical in many ways, as most novels are. Many people are indeed phonies, Holden, especially through your eyes. Author of Adjust Your Brain: A Practical Theory for Maximizing Mental Health.

Fantastic read (2007-09-16)

I never read this book in high school because it was not part of our novel study. I wish I had read this book earlier. My sister bought it home one day and I took it from her so I could have something to read on the bus. I really thought I would not enjoy it because it was read in schools. The first page got me hooked. The story is written in plain old English and written from the point of view of the main character, he is narrating his life to the reader. This book was truly a page turner and I felt that I really knew and understood the main character and where he was coming from. It was extremly witty and funny, I even found myself laughing to myself in the bus. It's one of those books that you would say that you could have written. This book is officially part of my "top five must read books". For anyone that wants a quick read and a real page turner I would so reccomend this book. Simply a fantastic read!

Too psychotic (2007-08-26)

This book was way too crazy a read. I was dissapointed because I felt, after reading it, distirbed. I you want to read a book about a crazy person's life than this is the one. If not I suggust you look elsewhere.

An interesting read (2007-06-21)

The Catcher in the Rye is a rather interesting book. It is the most widely banned book as well as the most taught book in the United States. With a record like that, it has to be great& doesnt it?The Catcher in the Rye is a pretty good book. However, upon finishing the book I was left expecting more. It just didnt seem to have the great literary significance that it is made out to have. My first thought after closing the book was something along the lines of Did I miss something? After some time spent searching the internet, I have managed to gather some of the meanings in this book. However, there really is nothing too spectacular in The Catcher in the Rye. It discusses the views of a rather disturbed sixteen-year old, Holden Caulfield, on issues such as hypocrisy, loss of innocence, and fitting into society. Holden is frequently disturbed by the society around him, causing him to become disturbed and withdrawn.The wide-spread banning of this book is likely due to its profuse swearing, as well as the way it shamelessly portrays teenage sexuality and depression. This puts the book into an interesting category. It is too crude for me to recommend it to young children, but at the same time, the book seems to fall short of an adult reading level.All things considered, I can recommend reading The Catcher in the Rye if you have an interest in classic literature or if you are craving a book that will make you think. For someone simply looking for a story to curl up in an armchair with, this book is probably not for you.

Look for similar items by category

• Subjects > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( S )
• Subjects > Literature & Fiction > Classics > United States
• Subjects > Literature & Fiction > Classics
• Subjects > Literature & Fiction > General
• Subjects > Literature & Fiction > United States > Classics

Related Link