Rating: 
Summary: Good stuff
Review: Like Alex in "A Clockwork Orange," Holden jumps off the page due to the wonderful narration. The novel is just as relevant today for teenagers as it was when it was written, and the story is fun to follow as Holden begins to find himself.
Rating: 
Summary: Cynical Beauty
Review: Like it or not, there is a little Holden Caufield in all of us. Who hasn't been disgusted with his present situation at one time or another, with the same drab setting and boring people, the same tedious authority figures, the seemingly inescapable occupational path laid out in front of him? Caufield is our phony-exposing id, getting kicked out of school, running away from convention, and telling anyone in his path exactly like it is. I, for one, feel like there's as many frauds around now as there were in Caufield's world (New York's boarding school establishment in the 1950's)- just pick up any paper- and would love to at times similarly pack up and escape them all.Caufield's heart is in the right place throughout this tale of, essentially, a young man's mild descent into madness (I say mild because it is accompanied by none of the gun-wielding trauma we have come to associate with disillusionment among today's post-Columbine teens). He says goodbye to a professor at the boarding school he's tossed from; he defends an old girlfriend's honor from his cad roommate; he fondly and regretfully reminisces about his dead younger brother; and he dotes on his sister Phoebe throughout, even entering his parents' house under the cover of darkness (and in a drunken stupor) to check in on her while she slept. When he visits her at school and takes her to the park the next day, right at the brink of his collapse and threatening to leave his environment forever, the scene is as touching as it is suspenseful. I would like to have seen more resolution from this story, such as his making contact with his unrequited love, who was never mentioned after Caufield fought his roommate for dating her. However, I recognize Catcher is more about one errant weekend- albeit a very revealing one- than it is Caufield's life's story. Plus, the surprise ending merits a mere couple of paragraphs, and the merest of allusions within them, yet exceeds the rest of this book in its power.
Rating: 
Summary: Okay. Just another school assignment.
Review: Like many other people, I read this book as a school assignment. The book was okay. It didn't change my life or make a huge dent in it. Some parts of it were very emotional. Those parts were good. I do believe that my favorite part would be the part where Holden was saying that just because Allie was dead doesn't mean that he couldn't like him. I gave the book three stars because I didn't like the structure of the book. I enjoy reading books that have a major plot and a attention catching ending. All this book talked about was Holden's life. As for the ending, it just ended. Nothing was resolved and you didn't know what was going to be the outcome.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best of the 20th cent.
Review: Like most people, this book was assigned to me while I was a jumior in high school. I remember my teacher assigning us certain chapters to read for homework, but I became so involved that I read it in one night! I don't want to say anymore, just that I think that says it all. Everyone I have ever met loves this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Much Ado About Nothing
Review: Like others before me, I share the comments that this story is highly overrated, I was very dissapointed when I first read this in high school,found it to be rather dull. I have read it again, some 10+ years later and my conviction remains the same. As a point of reference, I also thought "On the Road" was overrated, maybe these 1950"s era efforts were simply unique in their time and have simply been romanticized through the years.
Rating:
Summary: Read it again and again
Review: Like so many others, I first encountered this book in high school. I can't really remember what I thought about it then; as cynical and distrustful of authority as I was, it didn't have much impact on my life. When I reread it recently, I experienced all the things that people who love this book have already described to the point of cliche. I couldn't put the book down. I can't think of another book where I was so impressed with colloquial writing often filled with poor grammar. It's one of those rare books that change on further readings, and I'm sure it will be rewarding when I revisit it later on. There's an irony to the censorship this book often calls for. Holden tries to do some censoring himself near the end of the book. He keeps finding a particular vulgarity written on the walls, even on a glass case in a museum. He wants to protect the innocence of children, but he can't go on erasing this word from walls forever. And you know that he has grown up, if only a little bit, when he realizes that you have to let kids do what they want, and "if they fall off, they fall off, but it's bad if you say anything to them. I wish the censor-crazed would grow up a little too.
Rating:
Summary: a very light book... but close to a classic
Review: Listen - its a very light book. Its not the best book I have ever read, and it doesnt come close to it either. I got this book from a friend who guarenteed me that this book was the one ... - the one which would change my life. It was a nice book and all, but it just wasn't that. I suppose it comes down to the individual. If you want to read the book, read it. Its a book complaining a lot I believe, complains a lot about life - and the people which make it up. I got a little frustrated at times, I wanted to jump into the page and really speak to this guy.. who the hell does he think he is? But I suppose thats a good thing. It makes our minds more open and aware of the fact that there are different people on earth. The story line is simple - a boy who struggles at school, and who plans to run away from home, and doesn't. Thats it. But its the way its told that makes it different than any other book Ive read. A light read, but in short, a book that tells you something in a unique way. A boy who is very unsettled, and has a strict dislike for life. The exact opposite of me.
Rating:
Summary: One Helluva Great read
Review: Listen - this book has probably gotten more mixed reviews, more shares of both 1's and 10's, than any other novel out there. It's not the messiah of the literary world, but it's not vulgar trash either, so let's put a stop to those theories right now. It's a book that, for some people people (myself included) struck a chord and parallels real life so completely that you feel for Holden as you would for your closest friend. Having reread this book just after finishing my first year at college, and my first year in the dorm life, it holds new meaning and truths that I skipped over (I think) the first few times I read it. It is a treasure trove of wit and truth for people our age, if you're a little cynical with the world, or maybe just think that books can do a bit more than just depict the world in a picture perfect image with no four-letter words, then this book might just click with you. This isn't everyone's book, though - if the language turned you off (as I know it did so many people) then don't toss off Salinger all together: try Franny & Zooey, almost as great a read, with slightly more refined characters and lifestyles. Either way, you'll get the read of a lifetime
Rating:
Summary: My Thoughts
Review: Look I know i'm only 12 (13 in 2 months) but The Catcher In The Rye is an excellent book. It deals with everyday life like getting kicked out of school, fear of your parents, family relationships, alchol, hookers, girl friends, even sibling friends right through to wanting to run away with someone just to get away.
Rating:
Summary: One of my all-time top ten
Review: Loved it as a kid, love it as an adult, an awesome coming of age that will always help you remember what it was like.
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