grossman1

By, Jenn Grossman
 * __The Catcher in the Rye: book review__**

Little, Brown & Company, published J.D. Salinger’s novel, __The Catcher in the Rye__, on July 16, 1951. The novel was and still is extremely controversial due to sexual issues and relatively profane language use. However, that didn’t stop the thousands of people who read the book then, and the thousands who will read the book in the future. It’s a staple in literary history.

The plot summary seems like your typical teenage book; an alienated teenaged boy goes through hard times to try and “find himself.” However, once you really dig into the novel you realize it’s so much more than that. The protagonist, Holden Caulfield is a 15 year-old suffering from depression. Now, Salinger doesn’t just go out and say that, but it’s something the reader catches on to. Holden is the second oldest out of four children: his older brother D.B., younger brother Allie, and younger sister Phoebe. Holden was the closest in age with Allie, and they had the closest relationship. Unfortunately, Allie had died of Leukemia just two years before the events in the novel took place. Holden has a lot of trouble connecting with people his age, and he only seems to bond with those much younger or much older than he is. He’s a chain smoker and has a lot of issues with expressing his feelings. He doesn’t apply himself in school (he’s failed out of three prep schools,) but he’s very intelligent. Throughout the novel the reader listens to a flashback that is, essentially, Holden’s big mental breakdown. It’s both comical and mind-boggling.

As for language use, Salinger’s greatest gift is his most wretched curse. As Holden Caulfield, he writes with extreme consistency. By the end of the book, the reader will be able to speak complete with all of Holden’s mannerisms. These include saying “Goddamn” before almost everything he said, “and all” and “anyway” after everything, and referring to money as “dough.” It does get irritating after a while, but that’s what makes Salinger such a good writer. He’s consistent. He knows exactly how Holden speaks, acts, and thinks inside and out, and he makes sure to keep it in the same context throughout the novel. Salinger wants the reader to know his characters inside and out as well.

Everyone can relate to Holden Caulfield. No matter what your age is, your gender, where you are in life, you can relate to this kid. There isn’t a person in the entire world that hasn’t felt lost in their life. That’s the main reason this book is such a hit with most of society. Most people who can and enjoy reading especially enjoy reading a novel about something they can relate to.

Salinger did a fantastic job of portraying the life of a depressed 15 year-old boy in the midst of a mental breakdown. One reason is probably because he put a lot of himself into Holden Caulfield. Because of this, I give this book a rating of 4 stars. I thought it was a fantastic read and is one of my favorite books.