Book Review on The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye

Today marks the 67th anniversary of the publication of J. D. Salinger’s famous novel The Catcher in the Rye, and many still have strong feelings about it. There are a lot of die-hard supporters and a lot of furious detractors.

Indeed, only On the Road, probably the most contentious of all the mid-century American novels to survive the test of time elicits a similarly polarised response among current readers.

Today marks the 67th anniversary of the publication of J. D. Salinger’s famous novel The Catcher in the Rye, and many still have strong feelings about it. There are a lot of die-hard supporters and a lot of furious detractors.

Indeed, only On the Road, probably the most contentious of all the mid-century American novels to survive the test of time elicits a similarly polarised response among current readers.

Salinger’s most renowned work was named the fourth most banned book in the United States by Time Magazine. The work’s profanity and dubious morality are cited by critics of the book being taught in schools.

The secret for me this year for Banned Books Week was to ignore the contentious background and just focus on the tale itself. “Catcher in the Rye” is, at its core, a tragic and poignant novel about a young man attempting to make sense of the world and his position in it. We can all identify with its thoughts about mankind, as well as its need for meaning and purpose.

Holden Caulfield is a lonely adolescent who has recently been expelled from a prestigious East Coast prep school. Only three days are covered in the book. Holden spends that time traversing the streets of New York City, pleading for someone to pay attention to him.

And because no one else does, he considers everyone to be phonies, individuals who aren’t truly human. That’s all I have to say about the subject. Beyond that, there’s hardly much story. Everyone disappoints Holden, including favorite professors who never seem to say the right thing, a mentor who advances on him, and pals who simply don’t understand him. He never finds the love he seeks or a cause to trust in mankind.

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