classics

giving this book a favorable review is almost cliché. the one thing that, i think, most everyone that has read this book would agree upon, is that it is truly timeless. since it's publishing in 1951 this book has become an american classic.

the story is simple enough but rich with many characters. the main character holden caulfield is sometimes <as in the story> misunderstood. i paraphrase yogi berra, ".. i thought catcher in the rye was about baseball, turns out it's just about some whinny kid .." this comment was made tongue in cheek and to illicit a laugh but those who do not enjoy this book often leave with this misconception.

the story is really one that would seem to be ripped more from today's generation x then the era it was written. holden is experiencing many difficulties in life, most of which appear to be centered around authoritative figures. the book is written in holden's narrative and although he tries to come off as sophisticated, cynical, or perhaps even aloof he's really just looking for meaning or to be understood.

i realize that my review can only inspire you so much to read this book. i wish i could do more. i can only suggest that if you have not read this book - buy it .. read it. if you have read this book - read it again. regardless, your time will be well spent.

I was seventeen when I first read this book and quickly became obsessed with it. Why? Because, unlike so many pieces of literature, it didn't FEEL like literature. It felt like LIFE to me. I was a young man, and it struck a chord with me. The story doesn't consist of situations that feel carefully plotted...they just seem to HAPPEN, as they do in life. And the writing style isn't typical high-brow creative-writing-class style. It's real...as if someone were telling a story and you were listening. Okay...so Holden may have his problems, he may be misguided, he may be at fault in certain situations...but he isn't perfect...that's the point...he's just a human being...like any of us. He hasn't got it all figured out...or even close. He's just working with what he has...living the life he's been given. And he's honest...when he errs, he admits it full-on and takes responsibility. And when faced with dishonesty, he recoils in disgust. The fact that there are people who CAN'T UNDERSTAND why so many readers relate to Holden is astounding to me. He's just like so many of us in so many ways...he's confused, he's discontented, he's fed up, he's lonely, and he's bitter. It's our faults, not our virtues, which make us human. And Holden Caulfield embodies so much of the human spirit that over a half-century after the first printing of "The Catcher in the Rye," so many people still find this book fascinating...because they can look at Holden and say, in at least a few instances, "I've been there." And whether we like to admit it or not, there's a little bit of Holden in all of us. It's his faults that make us real...and it's his virtues that make us shine.

Without a doubt, The Catcher in the Rye is one of the best books I've ever read. Many people observe that this book is about someone who is clinically insane, but I read something completely different in Salinger's work. I view Holden, the main character, as a typical teenage boy with a bit more insight than the
average person. I see him as someone who looks at the negativity in the world and has a yearning to grasp even one small piece of innocence within it, but is blinded by the depravity that he sees everyday. I think that the book is about Holden trying to preserve innocence before realizing finally that it is impossible, and therefore he needs to find happiness in places where he normally wouldn't look to find it in order to prevent impending insanity. There are many different interpretations of this piece, and all of the interpretations hold weight, regardless of the fact that the various viewpoints are very much in dissent with one another. This is a piece that can be appreciated and understood by anyone, and I would recommend that everyone get their hands on a copy of this book.