Why catcher in the rye is a good book

In fact, I suspect the legions of its dismissers will grow the further we get from the zeitgeist of the mid-to-late twentieth century. Of primary importance is its style and what scholars refer to as its voice.

Right from the first line, Salinger serves notice this story is not going to be presented like anything its readers had ever read before. The line dispensing with "all that David Copperfield kind of crap" heralds both a new kind of story structure specifically not a Dickens-style coming-of-age story and a new kind of language to tell the story. Lots of writers had used profane speech before, but few had made this an entire novel.

Salinger sustains the profane, adolescent tone of Holden Caulfield as narrator through almost the entire novel, without a false note struck in more than two hundred pages. Today, with generations of scribes having copied this trick, it's hard to realize what an astounding feat this was back then. Caulfield's verbal tics have provided material for parodies: tagging sentences with vague phrases like "and all" and "if you want to know the truth", overusing "phonies", putting "old" before people's names, spicing it up with weak expletives like "goddam" and "for God's sake"—and everything "driving me crazy".

Salinger is easily satirized for lines like "People never think anything is anything really. I'm getting goddam sick of it. Vague but meaningful to anyone on the same wavelength as Holden. Some critics have complained about the novel's unimaginative, often flat sentences, as if they show the author's a bad writer.

They're missing the point. Of course, J. Salinger could have written the story more creatively—but Holden Caulfield couldn't.

Salinger shows incredible discipline really in sticking to the kid's voice, even when he's inarticulate. And then when the kid does show tremendous sensitivity and insight, expressed in the vulgar language that more refined writers of sensitivity and insight don't use It strikes the reader, or at least a certain kind of reader, as all the more real. Sales-wise, too, Catcher did reasonably but not exceptionally well. But, now, that was in hardcover.

What with the recent invention of the "perfect binding"--a book binding using glue rather than stitching--there was the paperback to consider, as well. Did not Catcher seem like the sort of book that might do well in the new format? And so it did, going on to sell over 60 million copies.

Moreover, in , some dam in critical interest seemed to burst. What critic George Steiner was to call the "Salinger industry" began to swell fantastically, until it sat like a large, determined bird on a bunker-like egg. Where did all this start? In a letter to a friend, a year-old Salinger described his novel-in-progress as "autobiographical"; and decades later, too, in an interview with a high school reporter--the only interview he's ever given--Salinger said, "My boyhood was very much the same as that of the boy in the book.

He did, though, like Holden, flunk out of prep school. And he was also, like Holden, manager of his high school fencing team, in which capacity he apparently really did once lose the team gear en route to a meet. More importantly, Salinger seems to have shared Holden's disaffection. Numerous youthful acquaintances remember him as sardonic, rant-prone, a loner. His daughter, Margaret Salinger, likewise traces the alienation in the book to him, though it does not reflect for her either her father's innate temperament or difficult adolescence so much as his experiences of anti-Semitism and, as an adult, war.

Where Salinger fought in some of the bloodiest and most senseless campaigns of World War II and apparently suffered a nervous breakdown toward its end, shortly after which--while still in Europe--he is known to have been working on Catcher --it is hardly surprising that Holden's reactions should evoke not only adolescent turmoil but also the awful seesaw of a vet's return to civilian life.

Holden may be a rebel without a cause, but he is not a rebel without an explanation: It is easy to read the death of his brother as a stand-in for unspeakable trauma. And witness the notable vehemence with which Holden talks about the war--declaring, for instance, "I'm sort of glad they've got the atomic bomb invented.

If there's ever another war, I'm going to sit right the hell on top of it. I'll volunteer for it, I swear to God I will. But what of Margaret Salinger's theory regarding anti-Semitism? Ian Hamilton's unofficial biography of Salinger, too, cites a letter from the father of a girl to whom Salinger once proposed, describing him as "an odd fellow. He didn't mingle much with the other guests [at their Daytona Beach hotel]. I thought that might explain the way he acted.

I thought he had a chip on his shoulder. It was his time to check out, I guess. What difference does it make? He's been dead to the world since the mids. Before I was even born. A strong case could be made that he truly died in spirit when he started stalking Elaine Joyce on the set of s sitcom Mr. And yet I still clung to this still technically living legend as if he were some kind of talisman I could wear around my neck, a good luck charm to ward off phonies and all manner of soulless dreck who populate this despicable world, writing 'fuck' on grammar school walls and metaphorical equivalents.

After returning for a few minutes to my soul-deadening job, which -- when you really get right down to it -- is just another way of killing time until I join Salinger in oblivion, I started getting all funny-feeling about it.

At the risk of sounding like an adult contemporary power ballad written by Jim Steinman, with synthesized violins in the background, I began to feel as if my adolescence had finally come to an end. I guess it's about time. So of course. I love all of Salinger's writing, but his value in my life has far surpassed that of a 'mere' literary pastime. He has kept me company for many years when I felt left behind by the exigencies of time and the claims of 'maturity. With graying hair.

And deepening crow's feet. What idiots! Lots and lots of people feel a special connection to Salinger's writing -- for just the reasons I described -- and lots and lots of people hate his writing because they find it grating and immature Catcher in the Rye or pretentious and ponderous the Glass family stories. But I felt compelled to commemorate today in some way -- however trite and superfluous -- because I sense again and again with the relatively recent deaths of some of my heroes, like Ingmar Bergman and Jacques Derrida, for instance that I am entering a world that is no longer safeguarded by the great men and women of the elder generation; I am entering a world in which I am now the elder Yes, this still frightens me, but I'll always have Salinger's very particular and empathetic world to which to retreat when I have sacrificed too much of myself to a real world I'll never completely understand or feel at home in.

View all 56 comments. Feb 05, Licia rated it did not like it Recommends it for: spoiled, white, rich kids who feel misunderstood. I know there are people who thought this book changed their lives and helped them find their unique way in the world, but coming from a non-white, non-middleclass background, as a kid, I really resented having to read about this spoiled, screwed up, white, rich kid who kept getting chance after chance and just kept blowing it because he was so self-absorbed and self-pitying.

I felt at the time there was no redeeming value in it for me. I was born on the outside trying my best to get in.

I felt n I know there are people who thought this book changed their lives and helped them find their unique way in the world, but coming from a non-white, non-middleclass background, as a kid, I really resented having to read about this spoiled, screwed up, white, rich kid who kept getting chance after chance and just kept blowing it because he was so self-absorbed and self-pitying.

I felt no sympathy for him at all. I didn't even find him funny. It just made me angry. I guess it still does. View all 36 comments. Jan 22, andrea rated it did not like it Shelves: a-group-of-characters-pissed-me-off , disappointed , heavy-topics , bad-beginning , bland , books-i-read-for-school , douchebag-character , tried-too-hard-to-do-something , really-disliked , surface-level-characters. Please take this review as an account from a fourteen year old.

Maybe consider that before you make some extremely inappropriate judgments about me. I cannot positively find a good thing to say about it whatsoever. Before anyone decides to come at me for hating this book and say, "Andrea, you're so immature and uneducated" or "A Please take this review as an account from a fourteen year old.

Before anyone decides to come at me for hating this book and say, "Andrea, you're so immature and uneducated" or "Andrea, it was written in the s, what do you expect", no , I will NOT apologize for detesting this book and no , I will NOT excuse any of its problematic content because it came out a long time ago.

To top it all off, I practically killed myself reading it. It was awful to get through. I wish I could throw the book into a paper shredder, but it belongs to my dad and it's from the early s so if I wait a couple of years, I can probably get an antique shop store credit. This book is about A character examination? An inadequate and inaccurate account of depression? A plot to piss everyone off who is reading?

A slacker who does stupid things and uses hypocrisy and lying to get himself out of situations that he created? A boy who gets kicked out of school? One of the worst things, if not the worst thing about this book, is the vernacular used.

Salinger writes in this method in which he attempts to emulate the way an actual teenager speaks. That would make it more realistic, he thought, but it was actually just annoying.

If I have to hear another character [Holden Caulfield] use the phrase "like a madman" or "like a bastard" or "goddam" which was horribly misspelled, by the way , I am literally going to gouge my eyes out with a spoon. To make it even worse, it was also obnoxiously repetitive. I counted the word "goddam" seven times on one page. He also had an affinity for the sentence "it killed me".

Every time that was used, I literally wanted to be killed. The other most pressing attribute of this book is Holden Caulfield himself. Probably my least favorite character of all time. I got dragged for disliking this book, so I think I deserve to drag this character for some time now.

I have been shamed and judged many a time due to my interests and anxieties. The fact that Holden Caulfield is constantly judging, constantly shaming, and constantly criticizing other people for what they do when he should just stand in a mirror and do a self-examination infuriates me.

There is not a second that passes by in that book without Holden getting angry or "depressed" because someone lived their life and upset his little hipster fantasy. Holden seems to be agitated by everything, yet he continues to comply with the things that agitate him.

I'll reference a specific example. There's a word I really hate. It's a phony. I could puke every time I hear it. He constantly and unreasonably points out others for being "phony" when he's the one who's really phony. The filthy hypocrite. He "almost hates" certain people for being reasonable and not complying with his own corrupt morals and standards. I understand that the author is trying to show that he is a flawed character , but he just unsettles me.

Another thing I get that this book is utterly sexist and homophobic because it's outdated, but that doesn't mean I have to appreciate it or dismiss it.

The way he treats the women in his life and belittles the homosexual community is just awful. There is a whole paragraph where he discusses his distaste for men who don't treat women right and who are "boring", implying that women should go for "nice guys like him". Then, on the next page, he describes his date with a girl, saying that they "horsed around" even though she didn't really want to, but inherently "had no other choice".

This honestly feeds into the hypocrisy along with the sexism. He can be quoted calling girls weak, stupid, and dumb, not specifically, but in general. He can be found making fun of "flits", in which he describes homosexuals as phonies in regard to gender.

This regard is disgusting. I don't understand how people who read this book in this present time can manage to ignore that and call this an excellent book.

This book did not have a predictable ending at all. It had a horrible ending. If you don't want to be spoiled for the ending, skip to the next paragraph, but if you don't care, by all means, be my guest and continue reading. This book ends with Holden coming back home. It begins with him getting kicked out of prep school and running away, and it ends with him coming home to his family and finding another school.

No sign of resolution. No sign of conclusion. Just the story being like: "okay, fun. Nothing's changing. It's going to end abruptly. Bye-bye now. I understand that sometimes books do not necessarily have a happy ending, but with a book like this that has already charted its course with little to no plot, I think some resolution is required. I felt like my time had been wasted after finishing.

Lastly, I'd like to talk about this book's interpretation of depression. Now don't get me wrong. Someone who is depressed can be a slacker and not want to care about school at all, and flunk out of everything and not have any friends.

But this book's interpretation was insanely problematic. The way the character was portrayed made the book seem as if Holden was diseased because of his depression, and that he was so awful because of it. Maybe this is just my opinion, but that's not a good message to share to your audience. Overall, this book was horrendous.

It had no point and it consisted of Holden running away, doing stupid crap, lying about it, getting away with it, and then just having it never appear again or show any effect to the story. The writing didn't make it interesting and neither did the characters, all of which I hated.

I don't recommend this book and I've done so many analysis assignments and projects that I never never never want to see it again. Edit: Can we, in the comments, please stop giving me hate for writing this review? I understand that the version of me, who read this book in her freshman year of high school, took this book in a different account than how it was meant to be taken, but never did I say that anyone who likes this book is horrible. I understand that you may not agree with me, and I respect that, but to completely chew out a minor who had a premature opinion in paragraphs and paragraphs of writing is maybe something that should be more thought out?

View all 86 comments. That digression business got on my nerves. The trouble with me is, I like it when somebody digresses. My reviews always are. I'm boring this way. I envy the ability of my friends to digress in their review space and tell me a story which in some way was inspired by something in the book they just read, or its blurb, or - god forbid now, in the land of GR censorship of anything that does not look like a book report - author behavior, the new scary censorship-causing phrase out there, together with the now-used 'OFF TOPIC' excuse.

Because - oh the horror! Because for some of us literature does not equal product. Because for some of us, literature is what is designed to make us think and speak up, and not mindlessly consume consumer instead of reader - that's making me shudder. And Holden Caulfield, the conflicted rebel with all the makings of a phony of the kind he detests, would probably approve.

And if Holden approves, who the hell cares if Goodreads or Amazon do? You know. Spontaneous and all. It just about drove me crazy. You can't really love The Catcher in the Rye if you are feeling happy and content.

At least I can't. When I'm happy, all I see is a moody overly judgmental privileged teenager looking for reasons to bitch about the world and being immature and a phony. I have to feel some discontent to appreciate the hiding behind that facade helpless anger, pain, loss and a rebellious streak.

Holden is - or at least sometimes unsuccessfully trying to be - a rebel. A troublemaker. A square peg in a round hole. Yes, I am very aware I'm quoting the Apple commercial. So sue me. Maybe it's off-topic or something. You decide. And right now I am not happy and content seeing the site I used to love heading down the road that is perilous at best.

The road that clearly shows preference towards consumers over readers. The consumerism mantra of buy-buy-buy is taking precedence over think-disagree-discuss-passionately argue-watch the truth being born. Holden Caulfield would not approve of such change in direction.

And neither do I or so many people I have come to respect, people whose opinions help me discover the works of literature that I love. Holden Caulfield's views and his expression of them were, admittedly, often juvenile, poorly thought-through and frequently just as phony as those of people he reviles. He was quick to jump to judgment, ignoring those who really cared for him.

He was prejudiced, snobbish and arrogant, and a habitual liar, too. How often do the readers want to reach into the book and shake some sense into this boy spiraling down into desperation and a breakdown? And yet there is something about the unhappy rebellious teenager that still resonates with us despite the obvious flaws. It is his anger itself, the rage against the world that is fake and all about appearances, about the power imbalance, about the smugness the powerful of this world carry with them.

His emotions are so raw and so sincere that I may disagree with some of them but I sure as hell can't ignore them. As we probably all know too well, The Catcher in the Rye has been one of the most challenged books of the 20th century, riling up the emotions and protests of the wannabe censors who thought it was their sacred duty to shield and protect the public from the work of literature that dared to offend their tender sensibilities.

These self-appointed sensors were quite ironically, if you think about it trying to be nothing less than the self-appointed Catchers in the Rye, protecting our childlike innocence from falling prey to The Catcher in the Rye.

What they fail to grasp is that the point of the book itself is that such seemingly noble efforts are useless, worthless, and quite phony in their presumptuousness of knowing what's best; that these efforts are a slippery slope that is futile and dangerous.

Just as it is equally presumptuous and patronizing and dangerous for any power to tell book readers there is a proper way to express their opinions, that they need to stay ON TOPIC or else there will be a delete-button action equal to the shriek of 'Digression!

Playing self-appointed Catcher in the Rye to the delicate sensibilities of certain bookselling sites, entitled writers or a bunch of offended fans, shifting the focus from discussing literature to reviewing product and collecting data - all this is just as misguided as Holden's futile efforts of saving children from growing up.

You see, this is what I love about Salinger's so often contested work - its ability to stir thoughts and opinions that go beyond the plot and the book report and make you think, and maybe -just maybe - be a touch rebellious, too. This is dangerous, in the best meaning of this word, the meaning that makes all the self-appointed censors uneasy.

These censors would rather have everyone toe the line and do what's expected and never have to face anything that even remotely upsets delicate sensibilities. But Holden Caulfield goes on being subversive. And occasionally being off topic - and that's perfectly fine by me. View all 38 comments. Feb 06, Nilufer Ozmekik rated it really liked it. And some of the other reviewers think this book is incredibly boring and Holden is such a sassy, arrogant, pretentious little bastard who has no idea about real life, its challenges, struggles without any proper experiences you may only have when you get aged and connect with people without thinking their phony, fake or artificial.

As soon as you catch your inner Holden during your read, his words will start to talk directly to your soul and heart at the same time. I personally read this book four times. At first time it was for my school work and as you may imagine I hate the guts of the character but second reading of mine was completely different. I read it for third time for few years back for my book club they threw me out because I started to read 6 books instead of 1 weekly and gave so much spoiler!

It always awaken different feelings you have no idea they exist. Just give it a chance, try several times at different phases of your life.

Sometimes being rebellious is better than being obedient without questioning anything further. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. I know it's crazy. View all 4 comments. Sep 19, Mrinmayi rated it it was ok Shelves: give-my-money-back , ok-tier , stupid-is-my-middle-name , what-did-i-just-read , boring , dumb-male-mate , plot-what-is-that , regretting-you , special-snowflake-syndrome , wanna-smack-this-dude.

Note to Self: Stop using that word Hmm.. I will start on a positive note!! When Holden is talking to a certain character and a new name is introduced Rather than concentrating on the conversation, Holden goes ahead and tells the reader about the "new" person that was mentioned Now that would be completely irrelevant and confusing BUT what the author wanted was: that the reader should explore these memories and thoughts Because most of the memories and thoughts had a LOT of subtexts Which we readers are able to guess only by paying attention Eg.

Holden mentions a boy whom he knew at school At first, a reader might think that Holden is just recalling one of his classmates BUT as we read further.. What I mean?? We have the worst blow of this system!! S anyone?? I KNOW he is not supposed to be likable BUT I hated his character arc In the beginning he is slightly annoying but smart and as the story progresses his character becomes worse I wont say that I hate him..

It is NOT ok to use the f word!! It is NOT ok to be homophobic!!!! Casual homophic slurs are BAD!! Like Wtf dude??! I would LOVE to discuss this book with you and to understand your perspective. What i wont like is if you troll me or get aggressive for no reason I am a classic lover and i KNOW there's nothing better than discussing a classic book with a bunch of classic lovers.

However i hate when people try to impose their thoughts on you. Spoiler Alert: That wont help.. Thank you!! I can see myself appreciating the Main character's arc View all 80 comments.

Pallavi Sati I love the way your review! I also talk to Holden. Mrinmayi Pallavi wrote: "I love the way your review! So what do I think about the madman exploits of old Holden Caufield, perhaps one of the most acclaimed protagonists in all of American literature?

That guy, he really cracks me up. I never really understood why this book is so universally adored; sure, Holden is a slacker, the type of clown that every distraught kid envisions themselves to be, some gem in the rough with all the talent, but lacking the ambition to make a notable mark on the world which holds them back. But you grow up, if only to acknowledge you have no talents and still have no ambition, and instead of grabbing for that golden ring, you waste your time writing shitty reviews on shitty books here on goodreads on a ball-dampeningly warm Sunday afternoon.

Of course, when you realize Tucker Max probably felt the same way you immediately bathe in bromine and shave what remains of your flesh completely bald to scour the scourge as thoroughly as humanly possible. Perhaps it may be slightly more promising to delude yourself than resigning your life to the contemplation of just how lame you actually are.

All this weirdness coming from an awkward geek with a fondness for children ought to be enough to sway any who remain unconvinced thus far. I will give Salinger's opus two stars, however, simply for the entertainment of laughing at it. View all 30 comments. Sep 13, Annemarie rated it it was amazing Shelves: read-in-english , all-time-favs.

One of my new favorites! I had absolutely no idea what this book is about when I started started reading it, so I am more than pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed and loved it. However, it is also one of those books where I totally understand when someone hates everything about it. I found the writing unexpectedly contemporary.

If I wouldn't have known when the story was written, I would have guessed it only came out in the past couple of decades. So if the reason you haven't picked up thi One of my new favorites! So if the reason you haven't picked up this book is that you're afraid of having trouble with the obsolete words that are generally used in classics - don't worry, you'll be fine! There are many repetitive phrases, and I can totally understand why someone might find this annoying, but I personally really like things like that in books.

Boy, was I busy! There is something marked on every. So if you're someone that doesn't like repetition Now, while we're on the topic of Holden: I'm sure he is one of the most hated characters of all time, because I see and hear countless of people talking about how pretentious and irritating he is.

I also understand those opinions, but I just absolutely fell in love with him! The reason for that is easy to find: I relate to him. I understand this anger and frustration at everything and everyone.

I understand feeling like no matter what good happens to you, it just isn't enough and you still end up feeling lost and alone. If I had read this book a couple of years ago, I would have thought that Holden is pretty much a male version of me, and I would have thrown it in the faces of everybody who was helplessly trying to understand me. Thankfully , I have now moved passed this stage, and I can look at him and his or more so: our previously shared view of the world a bit more critically.

But reading the book at the stage of my life were I am now, it also showed me that it's still far to easy for me to relate to and sympathize with characters like Holden. It made me realize that I've still got a long way to go. My ambition is to reread this book in ten years or so and only feel connected to Holden in a distant and long-passed way.

There is only a very small amount of plot and that small amount is rather generic. This is more of a character study, so if you're looking for a exciting tale filled with action and adventure - this is not the book for you. View all 8 comments. What am I missing? Readers also enjoyed. Videos About This Book. More videos Young Adult. About J. Jerome David Salinger was an American author, best known for his novel The Catcher in the Rye , as well as his reclusive nature.

His last original published work was in ; he gave his last interview in Raised in Manhattan, Salinger began writing short stories while in secondary school, and published several stories in the early s before serving in World War II.

In he publishe Jerome David Salinger was an American author, best known for his novel The Catcher in the Rye , as well as his reclusive nature. In he published the critically acclaimed story "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" in The New Yorker magazine, which became home to much of his subsequent work. In Salinger released his novel The Catcher in the Rye , an immediate popular success. His depiction of adolescent alienation and loss of innocence in the protagonist Holden Caulfield was influential, especially among adolescent readers.

The novel remains widely read and controversial, selling around , copies a year. The success of The Catcher in the Rye led to public attention and scrutiny: Salinger became reclusive, publishing new work less frequently.

He followed Catcher with a short story collection, Nine Stories , a collection of a novella and a short story, Franny and Zooey , and a collection of two novellas, Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction His last published work, a novella entitled "Hapworth 16, ", appeared in The New Yorker on June 19, Afterward, Salinger struggled with unwanted attention, including a legal battle in the s with biographer Ian Hamilton, and the release in the late s of memoirs written by two people close to him: Joyce Maynard, an ex-lover; and Margaret Salinger, his daughter.

In , a small publisher announced a deal with Salinger to publish "Hapworth 16, " in book form, but amid the ensuing publicity, the release was indefinitely delayed. He made headlines around the globe in June , after filing a lawsuit against another writer for copyright infringement resulting from that writer's use of one of Salinger's characters from The Catcher in the Rye.

Salinger died of natural causes on January 27, , at his home in Cornish, New Hampshire. Books by J. Articles featuring this book.