Catcher in the Rye

Rating:
Summary: My favourite
Review: Some may say this is not a great book, its overhyped, unrealistic, juvenile, out-of-touch, passe, stupid.

I think its moving and it made me cry.

I will not attempt to explain why I like it so much - I am not sure. I recommend it to everyone I meet and even pass my own copy around (sacrilege, as per my personal library rules).

So, let me put it like this: in all probability, after having read this book, you will feel that its much better having read it than not.

Rating:
Summary: Don't skip this book because you're over 20
Review: Some of the reviews on this page say that readers past adolescence should skip "Catcher." No! I am 25 and I just read it over the holiday. Never before have I finished a book, put it down, and thought -- "I want to read that again." So I did! Yes, many of Holden's observations are specific to adolescence -- but many of his problems dealing with society are universal. I often find myself stuck between doing what "polite society" requires, and what I'd just rather do myself. Also, anyone who thinks Holden is a "bad person" is way off base. Holden's problem is that he is too decent for the world.

Rating:
Summary: hello entertainment, goodbye pretentiousness!
Review: Some people give it 1 or 2 stars for this simple reason: "IT'S TOO OVERATED".

OKAY listen you pretentious little maggots, go dig up more RARE books and then bring them to the "we love unknown books" club and parade all you want for that brilliant accomplishment.

It is simply UNBELIEVABLE that such a great book doesn't even get more than 3 stars. If you're the kind of person hunting for content and meaning all the time, i'm sorry this book let you down. but perhaps you should get off your high horse and try something new???? perhaps you should see this book for it's entertainment, for it's humor, for Holden's boldness to let go of the cynical thoughts that so often linger in our minds.

i'm no book critic. if you were to ask me to dissect the book like a piece of meat, i'm sorry, that's not what i look for in a book. i think books should be entertaining and THIS HAS DEFINITELY DONE IT.

Rating:
Summary: Rebel with a cause
Review: Some people just aren't meant to be nice...Like Holden, he's not about to kiss anyones behind, and neither am I. Don't expect me to give you a giftwrapped, ideal review of this book. There's a lot about the book that isn't perfect, like the exclamations Holden keeps repeating time upon time. But hey, all of us use the same words and sentences all the time. And none of us is perfect.
Which makes me conclude that this book couldn't be more human. Some people like it, some don't. Like real life, where some people like you and some people don't, no matter how much you try to get into their favor.
So look upon this book like you would upon a fellow man. And don't bother me ,or anyone else for that matter, with your fierce judgements and absolute truths. Not just because of hypocrisy and prejudgement. Because I don't care. Nor does Salinger, being the rebel he based his own book on. Call it selfcentered, if you really think you must. I call it brilliant, because it's real. The atmosphere, an anxious runaway punk, the curses, the way everything presses down on you,... It's all in the down to earth, real-life concept of the book. But that's just my point of view.
A masterpiece from the depths of a genius' mind.

Rating:
Summary: Exceptional Use of Sybolism
Review: Some people just don't get the book, but there is a reason this is one of the greatest books of all time. The author is a master in the use of symbolism. Almost every name in the book has a symbolic representation. There are two level at which one can read this book. The name Holden for instance, is representative of "Hold-On". Holden is trying to hold-on to childhood innocense. The title of the book is based on Holden catching children before they enter adulthood. Picture Holden in a field beneath a cliff with a giant net catching inocent children prior to their entry to adulthood. Another example of the symbolism is the Carousel at the end with his sister Pheobe. The Carousel is going around in circles never entering the next phase. The reason this book is often used in High School is because teachers are smart enough to grasp the underlying meaning. The book is a story of a young persons strugle with the rites of adulthood. Teenagers can identify with the strugles of this difficult time in Holdens character.

Rating:
Summary: The Rye Revisited
Review: Some people live their lives thinking that many people are 'fake.' There you meet Holden Caufield who thinks that everyone has a fake personna about themselves. He is very negative and condradicts people. This book is very entertaining and is an easy read. Salinger uses many kinds of language to allow the reader to get what they want out of the book. It is a really good book for people who think others are fake because it makes you have an entire different outlook on life. This book was an easy read and I recommend it to people above the age of 13 because of the foul language. I really enjoyed the book though.

Rating:
Summary: It can mean something to everyone
Review: Some reactionary, uptight, snobby parent who was probably one of the phonies that Salinger wrote the Catcher in the Rye against did a book review against The Catcher in the Rye calling it pointless and vulgar. I'm 16 years old and I don't think that parent had a clue about what they were saying nor had any ability to look past his or her narrow-minded, absolutist eyes. The Catcher in the Rye is a great work of literature that everyone can relate too. Well, almost everyone. Just like Holden Caulfield, I'm a 16- year old teenager who is often unable to communicate with others even though I wish I could. I also get to be very cynical about life and other people even though they might be all right, and I truly hate all the hypocrisy and conformity people are subjected to and accept throughout life, as seen in the faculty of the private school which I attend and detest so much. I might not be exactly like Holden Caulfield, but I can definitely relate too him in many ways as a very realistic person that J.D. Salinger has created. I'm not the first person to have these beliefs from The Catcher in the Rye, and I definitely won't be the last. J.D. Salinger should be commended for creating a great work of literature

Rating:
Summary: If I had to chose a #1 Book, this would be it
Review: Somehow I dodged the "Catcher in the Rye" bullet in high school, and only later learned to appreciate it's depth and resounding beauty. It impacted me in a singular way that I'll never forget. It's a book that has to be taken up when you're ready, at that point in your life where you just /need/ to read it, finally. J.D. Salinger is an author worth discovering... in your own time.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic, But Somwhat Distracting
Review: Somehow I escaped reading Catcher in the Rye in High School. I am not sure if it was because of the Holden Caufield in me, or if it was never part of the curriculum. Anyhow, in the interested of expanding my frame of reference and shared experiences, I ordered a copy. I found it very difficult to read, as I was put off by the language in the book. No doubt the story is a classic, but I found it somewhat distracting to read.

Rating:
Summary: A powerful, gripping, honest novel
Review: Somehow I, a quite literate person, managed to live 31 years without reading this book. I never really took the time to see what it was about; I just pictured some guy out in a rye field, and the notion did not strike me as interesting. I hope no one else has such an idea because this book is inherently honest, gripping, and interesting. This is really a story of young angst , and it should really appeal to young people. I actually see a lot of Holden Caulfield in myself, which is not necessarily a good thing. However, I think there is some of Holden in almost everyone because Holden thinks and says the things that many people think (but perhaps will not admit). This guy hates everything and everybody at some point. One minute, he does something he doesn't want to do because he is afraid of looking foolish. The next minute, he rushes headlong into a conversation full of tall tales and impassioned statements and requests he may or may not even mean. Ironically, such maniacal conversations often reveal the deepest truths about himself. Through it all, he questions why he does certain things, and repeatedly asserts that he is crazy.

What struck me most is the way seemingly small and arbitrary things depressed him. The same thing happens to me, and such little things can actually be more depressing than major traumas. These are feelings I have never been able to really explain, nor have I attempted to do so, yet Holden seems to express my own strange feelings clearly and eloquently. He is just a confused young man, scarred by the death of his younger brother. As he is away at school(s) so often, he is left quite lonely, yet he does not really know how to relate to other people. The guy is to some degree a typical teenager, it seems to me, searching for a direction in life. In his own mind, bothersome things happen to him all the time, and he is constantly disgusted by the action of phonies all around him. Like him or not, Holden is no phony.

In a way, I'm not sure why this book is such a critical success. It doesn't read like a traditional classic of literature, especially with the abundant cursing. I consider this to be a painfully real and honest story, reflecting a very important viewpoint on life and society. It pulls no punches, and it offers no apologies. As a result, Holden Caulfield is one of the most "real" fictional characters in all of literature. While some readers may not like him, almost everyone can understand him, sympathize with him, and even learn from him. This book is one to be read and read again. I wish the story had gone on, that some of my questions had been answered. Part of the point, though, seems to be that there really are no answers to be found.

I would recommend this book to anyone. It should especially appeal to young people. It's relatively short, and it is realistic and gripping from start to finish. While he is not a hero, Holden will become a soul mate of sorts to folks who are lonely and confused about their places in life. If for no other reason, read it because it is a perpetual target of the banned books crowd. There is a lot of cursing in these pages, but it is nothing extreme or unfamiliar to anyone out there who doesn't live in a convent. I believe the cursing is actually necessary in terms of truly bringing Holden to life. Concentrate on the story, not the words. I have an old copy of this book, and on the cover are these words: "This unusual book may shock you, will make you laugh, and may break your heart--but you will never forget it." That pretty much says it all.