Rating: 
Summary: Caught by "The Catcher in the Rye"
Review: Despite a weak plot, "The Catcher in the Rye" is a wonderful book about a brilliant, yet cynical, teenage boy. Following the course of a few days, the book uses several symbols in the form of common objects to stand for major values in life. Modern literature at its finest.
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Summary: The Most Offensive Account of Teenage Life Written
Review: Despite what people might tell you, this book does not speak to teenagers and does not represent the mind of a teenager. It represents every whiny, mindless, arrogant, inarticulate stereotype that exists about teenagers. I cannot say enough negative things about this book. I love to read. I love the great American classics like "To Kill a Mockingbird" , "The Sound and the Fury", "Of Mice and Men" and many others. This book disgusted me and made me question the credibility of any source that would rank it as one of the best books of the century. I won't even use it to prop up my bed for fear of having it creep into my brain through osmosis. Please, do yourself a favor and never read this book. It is for your own good.
Rating: 
Summary: Mediocre at best...
Review: Despite widespread fame and popularity, I believe that this novel is quite insignificant and deserves little of the esteem it has thus far been accredited. Holden Caulfield's story is not some inspiring, amazing book, but a simple story about a misguided adolescent. There's nothing more; indeed, it is amazing to know that many consider this a "Great American Novel." It surely does not deserve such a title, and I must oppose strongly those who inflate the novel's importance to literature.
Rating: 
Summary: Curiously gripping.
Review: Despite writing Catcher in adulthood, Salinger exhibits a true understanding of teenage thought, psyche and angst. Though a simple story of a teenager's brief sojourn to New York, there is something about this novel that provides a compelling force to read on. There were only two aspects of the novel that I found mildly disappointing: I wanted to hear more about his brother and, I thought the ending was anti-climatic. However, it is still a timeless classic.
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Summary: What about Jane Gallagher?
Review: Didn't anyone wish that Salinger had written more about Holden's interactions with Jane Gallagher? For me, the most heartbreaking section was where Jane broke down crying during the checkers game and Holden began kissing her. After that she disappeared and Holden never got into "the mood" to call her. Maybe after his disastrous encounter with Sally Hayes he didn't want to see what old Jane had become herself. Anyhow, I thought the plot was marginal, but in a story like this if there's TOO much plot it overwhelms the character. And Holden is an incredible character. To all the people who complain that Holden is whiny and pessimistic: re-read the book. Holden doesn't indiscriminately label everything as "phony", "lousy", or "corny." When he is pleased with something he is direct about it. What is heartbreaking is the way he continually demeans himself and his intelligence, while his remarks and insights really show him to be a child (not an adult) of incredible intelligence and sensitivity. He's so lonely and vulnerable that you just want to give him a hug, tell him that you understand his troubles. I think the purpose of the plot was basically to place Holden in many different situations (many involving the consumption of alcohol) and leave the reader to piece together his character. The section where Holden hired the prostitute and then just asked her to talk, then was threatened by the oafish elevator man and broke down crying, was blackly funny. He's such a little boy.
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Summary: Had to read it in school, enough said!
Review: Didnt really enjoy it at all, I am a hard core book reader and I din not enjoy this ine at all!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Confusing and Thought Provoking at the Same Time
Review: Directly after finishing Catcher in the Rye, I had many negative thoughts about the story. At the time, it seemed to be pointless dribble, describing a young boy's problems with life and how he couldn't deal with them. On top of that, the fact that the book did not feature a "plot" in the sense that other books do, bothered me. At times, I was extremely annoyed with Holden's ignorance, which caused me to think this way. Also, it seemed poorly written to me. On several occasions, words were spelled incorrectly which caused the book to appear unpolished. On the other hand, it made the story seem like it was written as a diary.Instead of producing a flat character, J.D. Salinger managed to show the reader a character that acted much like real people. This included a temper, mood swings, and on top of that, small aspects to Holden that seem very realistic. At one point, he acted like a particular character was his best friend, but several pages later he would consider them an enemy. If I were to relate his personality to someone in another story, I would say that he is a lot like Gene in A Separate Peace. While the plots do not parallel one another in any particular way, each character has many similar qualities. Both youths have mental problems to an extent and because of this, pity themselves. They both have difficulty interacting with others too. It has been several weeks since I finished reading the novel. Since then, I have thought about how Holden acted throughout the story. He definitely is not a normal youth; in fact, I feel he can be quite demented at times. However, I also believe that there are pieces of him that every reader can relate to. It felt reassuring to know that there are other youths that can be just as cynical as I am. I also feel that it is fairly close to how I think and act at times. There are some very humorous parts, which help keep you entertained. The simplistic sentence structure, fairly easy vocabulary, and laid back writing style add to the idea that a good book does not need to be eight hundred pages long. One aspect of the book that impressed me from the start was its ability to capture my interest. Compared to a recent book that I have read, Dracula, it never had a lull and always managed to keep my interest intact. I am not an avid reader, yet I found myself reading it longer than the time that I had allotted each night. Its friendly, yet strikingly amusing tone, managed to keep the story flowing well. I did not care for the excessive vulgar language, because at times it seemed out of place. At some instances in stories, the language can add feeling to the story. However, when over-used, it makes the story seem cheap and unattractive in some respects. Overall, it is a very good story that is definitely worth reading. It is not a very long story, so even if you do not like it, you will not have wasted a good portion of your life. Then again, I thought that this book was very interesting and presented many ideas that cause you to think about your life and the way that you think. It is definitely worth reading once in your life.
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Summary: Reading the obituaries is more interesting
Review: Disappointing to find out all the hoopla over this book only applies to people who enjoy whiney bores for main characters. Holden may be realistic but is his every thought interesting? No. Most peoples' aren't (except maybe to them). Would have been more suited to a short story rather than a full book. Covering 24 hours of a person's uninteresting life over more than a hundred pages makes for bored and frustrated readers. Salinger beats us over the head with his repetition, and lack of imagination. It might have had more oomph if I had read this as a teenager, but not likely a positive effect. It doesn't compare to Bless the Beasts and the Children which I still recall even not having read it for 15 years. A little more plot/action/motivation and less diatribe would have kept my attention. Since I couldn't sympathize with Holden I felt apart from what little action there was, more a spectator. Kept waiting for Holden to "lose it" ---grab a gun and start shooting the phonies. Anyways, not recommended for discerning readers who value their time. Authors with more skill and consideration for their readers await...
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Summary: A story of alienation
Review: Do not make the mistake many make in glorifying Holden Caulfield. Pay particular attention to the brief bookends at the beginning and end of the book, which make it clear that Holden is telling this story to a psychiatrist in an asylum. Also, note the passages about Holden's brother, which are central to a deeper understanding of the book
Rating:
Summary: How many do you own?
Review: Do you want a conversation starter? Carry this book around campus for a week and see how many people come up to you and tell you how much they loved reading it! I think it was excellent, and I own fie copies... it freaks out the roommates. *evil grin*
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