Rating: 
Summary: Holden Caulfield, the original rebel without a cause.
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Are you "The Catcher in the Rye?"
Review: I was surprised how much Holden is like me, and then later appalled that Holden was seen as a kid who doesn't want to grow up. As a girl whose always been told to grow up, I like the book so much because Holden shares the same traits as I do- basically he is bored of all those phony adults who always seem to have somewhere or something to do.It makes me happy about myself, but it also tells me to grow up.
Rating:
Summary: YOU DONT NEED TO RELATE TO A STORY TO ENJOY IT
Review: I was surprised to see the last review. The reader did not like the writing because she was not young enough to appreciate it. If someone needs to relate to this story in order to appreciate it, they are missing the best thing about this book.
This book lets you look at the world through the eyes of a lunatic. To see his warped views and the reactions of people around him from HIS standpoint. The goal of the read does not seem to earn sympathy for the guy or understand teenagers; its purpose seems to be pure entertainment.... or maybe some understanding when you meet a crazy person.
If you have a good sense of humor, you can pick up this book and start reading from any paragraph and start laughing in seconds. Unless of course if simple-minded cynicism offends you... in which case you would fail to meet the former requirement anyway.
Rating: 
Summary: An very entertaining book -- I couldn't stop laughing.
Review: I was talking to someone who read the book and she mentioned the fact that she was very depressed after having read the book. I suppose I can understand where she is coming from, as there are many potentially depressing parts in the book, but I myself found the book much more humourous than depressing. I, too, laughed out loud at certain parts. Holden Caulfield is simply a very humourous character. Although I don't identify much with the main character, I find that, after reading the book, I am starting to talk like him. I really am. Okay, that was a bad joke. Anyway, I would not recommend the book to anyone who is very young, as there IS a lot of coarse language. However, I find it interesting that so many people condemn the book for its language, while a major part of the book, in my opinion, is dealing with telling people how absurd the obscenity in our world is. After all, near the end of the novel, Holden (although he swears a lot himself, which is another interesting point) gets quite angry at all the profane writings he sees on the walls of various buildings. In any case, although I think some of the coarse language in the book could have been avoided, I would recommend the book to anyone who is old enough and who has a good sense of humour. J. D. Salinger paints a vivid (and usually bleak) picture of the world that many people have never seen before, and a glimpse at it, as well as a good laugh, might do them good.
Rating: 
Summary: a major disappointment
Review: I was very disappointed when I read this book. Aside from having no real plot or character development, this was probably the WORST book I have ever read. The story is completely repetitive, it goes like this: Holden Caulfield goes out and does something stupid, complains about it, then goes out and does some other stupid thing. I never once sympathized with Holden because all his failures were HIS OWN FAULT!! I am a 16 year old male, and this was the worst book I ever read.
Rating: 
Summary: Julie's Review of TCITR
Review: I was very impressed with the book. I thought Salinger did an excellent job of writing such a detailed three day excursion in just 214 days. Of all of the books I've had to read in my high school career, I've only completed three books, and this being one of them. The book was written in such an irregular way, and that's why I think I enjoyed it so much. Catcher wasn't grammatically put together. I would reccomend this book to people, but only if they can handle going from one scene to the next in a few short words. The only part I didn't like so much was the ending, because the novel just ends abruptly. I guess that can be a good thing too, because it leaves it up to the imagination as to what happens to Holden.
Rating:
Summary: surprisingly funny
Review: I was very skeptical when I started the book, partly because I had heard so much about it. I really didn't think it could live up to the hype, but I'm happy to report I was wrong. It was easily one of the best books I've ever read, and though it was written 50 years ago, it still feels very contemporary.
Rating:
Summary: The Catcher in the Rye is better than I thought!!!
Review: I was weary about reading this book at first, but after I got into it and could not let it down I realized how good it was. J.D. Salinger was a great writer of how he wrote excactly what Holden was thinking! I would recommend this to anybody!
Rating:
Summary: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it's a classic.
Review: I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this book. I knew it was supposed to be this great classic and everyone was SUPPOSED to love it, so I, of course, didn't want to be like everyone else. Unlike the rest of America, it wasn't required reading at my school, so I didn't know much about it. I read Nine Stories, also by Salinger, just by randomly picking up the book in the library, and I really fell for his writing style. The great thing about Salinger's writing is that he portrays the nuances and quirks of human behavior in a realistic, engaging manner. The Catcher in the Rye is about the everyboy, the everyteenager. Anyone who has searched for his identity and his place in the world can relate to the story. Holden Caulfield embodies the idiotic, impulsive, emotional teenager. Salinger didn't write a character, he held a mirror to an American archetype. This is a touching book, and what makes it so touching is that it doesn't try to be. Holden is sometimes a moron, sometimes the nice guy, sometimes profound, but always interesting. This is a great book, and not because it's a "classic," but because it doesn't push. It's simply a great story that speaks truth at every turn. If you don't mind seeing the word "goddam" on every page, you'll love this book. It's a rewarding read.
Rating:
Summary: Conspiracy theory
Review: I watched the movie Conspiracy theory....through out the whole movie Mel Gibson's character kept buying The Catcher in the Rye....This made me think, I hadn't read it before, maybe I should go buy it and read it some time. So I did....It was the best book I have ever read.
|
