The Catcher in the Rye
by
JD Salinger
Good Books rating 3.82
Technical:
- ID: 28
- Added: 2025-08-10
- Updated: 2025-09-02
- ISBN: 9780241988794
- Publisher: Penguin UK
- Published: 2019-08-13
- Reviews: 6
'If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.' The first of J. D. Salinger's four books to be published, The Catcher in the Rye is one of the most widely read and beloved of all contemporary American novels. 'The handbook of the adolescent heart' The New Yorker
Reviews
Pull quotes
- Salinger’s writing demonstrates teen angst as something much deeper than a phase.
- I hated Holden because I thought he was pessimistic and gloomy, especially for a character who seemed to have it all.
- When Holden talks about how he wishes to preserve childhood and shelter children from the adult world, I felt as though the words had been taken out of my mouth.
Pull quotes
- "Despite being published over seventy years ago, the Catcher in the Rye remains an incredibly relevant depiction of the teenage psyche."
- "It offers an honest portrayal of adolescent confusion and rebellion."
- "The novel’s emotional depth continues to resonate with readers today."
Pull quotes
- "The Catcher in the Rye is essentially the story of a 16-year-old boy who flunks out of school."
- "It’s an honest depiction of teenage vulnerability and the search for identity."
- "The novel captures the rawness of adolescent emotions and the struggle to fit in."
Pull quotes
- "Holden believes that to be ‘the catcher in the rye’ means to save children from losing their innocence."
- "The novel’s power lies in its portrayal of adolescent confusion and the desire to protect childhood purity."
- "This story offers a timeless reflection on youth and alienation."
Pull quotes
- Whenever I see a person slam, or call The Catcher In the Rye an overrated, my heart breaks a little more.
- When you HAVE to read something for school, unless you have the world's best teacher, you're likely to hate it.
- I should note that this has been listed as the very first YA novel.
Pull quotes
- The Catcher in the Rye is far from a perfect novel.
- The very teenagerishness that the Times celebrates isn't nearly as clever or relevant today.
- Holden Caulfield is supposed to be this paradigmatic teenager we can all relate to, but we don’t really speak this way or talk about these things.