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The Catcher in the Rye By J.D. Salinger ( Back Bay Books )
Release Date: 2001-01-30
Average Customer Rating:
List Price: $13.99
Price: $11.19
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Product Description
Since his debut in 1951 as The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield has been synonymous with "cynical adolescent." Holden narrates the story of a couple of days in his sixteen-year-old life, just after he's been expelled from prep school, in a slang that sounds edgy even today and keeps this novel on banned book lists. It begins, "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. In the first place, that stuff bores me, and in the second place, my parents would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told anything pretty personal about them." His constant wry observations about what he encounters, from teachers to phonies (the two of course are not mutually exclusive) capture the essence of the eternal teenage experience of alienation.
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Amazon.com
Since his debut in 1951 as The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield has been synonymous with "cynical adolescent." Holden narrates the story of a couple of days in his sixteen-year-old life, just after he's been expelled from prep school, in a slang that sounds edgy even today and keeps this novel on banned book lists. It begins,
"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. In the first place, that stuff bores me, and in the second place, my parents would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told anything pretty personal about them." His constant wry observations about what he encounters, from teachers to phonies (the two of course are not mutually exclusive) capture the essence of the eternal teenage experience of alienation.
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 My favorite book
I am 30 and I just read the book for the first time. I knew about halfway through that it would become my favorite book. I dreaded each turned page because I knew I was closer to the end.
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You WILL love this book!
Maybe you've heard too much about it. Maybe you're buying it because you have to read it for school. Maybe you're sick of hearing people talk about it and want to read it so that you'll understand what all the fuss is about.
Just get it. Read it. You'll really like it. Promise.
(And, when you're done with this get Franny and Zooey and read that!)
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 As entertaining as it wasn't...
Having been forced to read this horrid novel for English, I can say that it is possibly the most boring book. Looking back, I can't recall anything of importance happening. Angst angst angst. Did I read the same book as the 5 stars?
Innovative and enlightening? I think not. It's one dull page after another as Holden explores the woes of life. No teenager is this seriously depressed. Everything makes him feel lonely and sad. He swears every other word. Everyone is a phony. I had no patience for his lameness. I only got through it to pass the section on it.
They say he grieves for Allie. You hear more about random classmates of his than of his brother. No character can hold your attention in this book. It is so blah and bland, I can't think why anyone would want to read it, let alone read it again.
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 Not satisfied
The book was in poor condition. The pages were brown and stained. This is the 3rd time I've reviewed this product. Please don't send again. Terri
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Young and foolish
I love this little book. And I am not completely sure why. No, it is not the most engaging and brilliant of stories. It's simply a rambling journey of 16 year old Holden-and his subsequent misadventures. Would I have liked a guy like Holden in high school back in the day? Probably not! But the genius of this little story is the way Salinger brings the reader into his world. His observations--his encounters with others--his needs and wishes. In spite of myself, my heart melts as I read along. Maybe this is why so many generations read this highly popular tale (going on 60 years) of the forever teenage Holden.
It's a must-read, but for something more contemporary (and a powerful story) I wholeheartedly recommend the hilarious, SIM0N LAZARUS--a little-known treasure.
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