The Catcher In The Rye By J. D. Salinger

The Catcher in the Rye is a novel by J. D. Salinger first published in 1951 though it was partially published in serial form in 1945-1946. It has withstood the passage of time, remaining the quintessential story of teenage angst and alienation. Published as a classic novel for adults, it has resonated with adolescent readers for its themes, becoming a sort of an anthem for them. It has been translated into almost all of the world’s major languages and it is estimated that it has sold close to 70 million copies to date. The novel was included on Time’s 2005 list of the 100 best English-language novels written since 1923, and it was named by Modern Library and its readers as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.

The Catcher in the Rye is one of the most challenged books in history, riling up the emotions and protests of the wannabe censors for its liberal use of profanity and portrayal of sexuality. In general, readers seem split in their response to the book. The book has very polarized rating:  many 1 star and many 5 stars. There are a lot of readers who heap high praise on the book but there are also a lot of readers who pan the book as amateur and unnecessarily coarse.

he Catcher In The Rye By J. D. Salinger

The novel’s protagonist Holden Caulfield has become an icon for teenage rebellion. Holden begins telling his story from an unspecified institution where he is undergoing some mental treatment.

Holden leaves his prep school in Pennsylvania after being expelled and goes underground in New York City for three days. Confused and disillusioned, he rails against the “phoniness” and shallow values of his teenage peers. He feels he is stuck between adolescence and adulthood in some sort of a twilight zone. His disaffection with his former peer group results in his quest for a place among adults. Striving to fit into the adult world, he experiments with adult behaviors like social drinking, smoking, dancing at a nightclub with women much older than him, initiating conversation with adults, the cabbies, the nuns, a former senior schoolmate, a former teacher and even a prostitute.

The book is in some parts a bit hilarious. Holden’s ranting and swearing can bring some chuckles. His colourful language includes the followings:

That killed me – meaning he finds something to be hilarious or astonishing

Snowing – sweet-talking

Give her the time – sexual intercourse

Chew the fat or chew the rag – small-talk

Flit – homosexual