A Catcher in the Rye is a highly misunderstood novel, mostly because
everyone was forced to
read it early on in high
school and not allowed
to enjoy it on its own merits. There have even been controversies over
some of the colorful language that the main character uses, but every
word is necessary. Even if you have read it once and don't think you
will like it - please give it a second shot. Salinger is a genius who
actually believes in the characters that he creates.
In this classic novel, the action follows a 17-year old boy named
Holden Caulfield who is recounting his story to a psychoanalyst, whom
many would argue is Buddy Glass from several of Salinger's other works.
Holden has been thrown out of another school and comes home to New York
City without telling his family (except his little
sister Phoebe, who
he sneaks over to talk to). He deals with many basic issues of
life:
sexuality, self-image, personality, even death. He values innocence,
hence why he enjoys hanging out with his little sister so much, and he
shuns the phoniness of basically everyone else in New York. He runs
into
problems with a dishonest hooker, uninteresting girls in a bar,
fake acting people from school, and various of life's other problems.
Salinger's language crafts a character that every single person can
relate to in some way. All of his words are as universal to human kind
as two arms and two legs. A definate must read.
Salinger has also written several other novels and novellas including
Nine
Stories, Franny and Zooey, Raise High the Roofbeem Carpenters and
Seymour: An Introduction. He also wrote over 40 short stories for The
New Yorker during the 60s but they have never legally been published as
a collection and are more difficult to find. Please see my reviews for
Nine Stories and Franny and Zooey if you'd like to know more about them.
More reviews about the The Catcher in the Rye