DISCLAIMER: the review is meant to be humorous and entertaining, it in no way means that this book isn't a classic or a genuinely well written book.
Out of all the books I have read, which are probably more than I can count at least on one hand, The Catcher in the Rye was one of those I-don't-really-want-to-read-you-but-I-have-to-because-you-are-in-every-school-essay-ever and so I did, I took my time to read the it. Now I hadn't really read the book since high school and since I decided to block out every moment from high school, the book was washed out in my high-school-memory-cleanse. So I sat down, very prepared in my cozy chair with a cup of tea with my blanket covering me, all ready to read. I actually sat down in my office chair shaped like the letter C with a spine that knows no other shape by now because I wasn't super enthusiastic about the whole experience and thought what is one more book reading of gut wrenching back pain when I've got my whole life ahead of me to straighten out that back. Anyway, so I did. I sat down and did it and here's just what I think of it and know that this probably doesn't count as a real book review.
If you've already read the book and/or don't want spoilers just scroll past this next part!
Quick recap: The book starts in the 1950's with this kid Holden that's not really a kid considering he is in school he is in prep school so he should be around 16 years old. Anyway this is the fourth school he fails and is getting expelled. However he is scheduled to be home in Manhattan by wednesday, but since he is expelled he decides to go home early and be a tourist in his own city. When he returns to his dorm, he's angry with his totally unhygienic neighbour and his roommate Stradlater that had just come back from a date with a girl named Jane Gallagher that used to be Holdens girlfriend. He pesters his roommate about the date and wether or not he has slept with Jane (why would you do this to yourself Holden?) and it ends up with him getting pinned down and beat by Stradlater. He gets to New York by train and upon deciding to not contact his family, he gets a taxi to take him to the Edmont Hotel and for some reason upsets the chauffuer with his questions about ducks. From his hotel room he obeserves all sorts of weird behaviour from people which leaves him angry and confused with a hint of turned on, and he decides to call a stripper he knows to persuade her into sleeping with him but decides against it when she apparently schedules the date too late for his taste (the day after). Holden goes down to the lobby, he parties, he flirts and he gets left with the bill that he pays (how much money does this kids have??) On his way up the elevator operator offers to send up a prostitute to Holdens room which also ends up in a fight since Holden doesn't want to pay and he once again gets beat up. Perhaps saving the money for a doctors appointment would have been more ideal.
The story goes on, he makes a date with a girl he knows, tries to get her to run away with him, she says no he calls her "a pain in the ass" then doesn't understand why she's so upset with him. The book reaches its end with him sneaking into his sisters room, scarring her for life probably, and decides to tell her he's kicked out of school again. He explains that he hates school because his dream is to be “the catcher in the rye,” a person who catches little children as they are about to fall off of a cliff. His sister says he misremembered the line and that it is from Robert Burns’s poem and it says “if a body meet a body, coming through the rye,” not “catch a body.”
He makes a quick visit between all of this to his former teacher, the teacher strokes his hair while he's asleep, he freaks out and thats the end of that. He goes back to his sisters school the following morning and leaves note telling her he's not coming home, she catches up with him, she cries, they go to the carnival and suddenly all is well and he's writing all of this from some sort of mental facility or so.
Stop scrolling!
Review: Catcher in the Rye, what does that even mean. It's the main character Holdens dream to become one after he misremembers a poem that he probably did not read considering the boy is 16 years old and has changed school four times. The kid isn't really dumb but he keeps failing school because what distracted 16 year old with big non-achievable dreams doesn't?
The book in itself is one of those I-totally-get-why-you-are-a-classic-but-oh-god-it's-so-long. It makes sense for its time, the 1950's introduced books that picked up the subject of real life issues and me-problems out of a young perspective and the youth novel really was a success during this time. It carries all the typical elements, the love problems, friendships, class differences and the desperate identity search. All of which are prominent in the book but oh my god is there a character that makes you as angry as Holden and his attitude? We've all been 16, we know how it feels but his constant cynical mood just makes you think dear god I hope I wasn't like that in high school. All of Holdens issues are bound together by the fact that he simply does not care, he doesn't care about anything and he's wasting money like he has no responsibility in the world which he probably doesn't, the kid is a teen after all. I mean if you are an expelled student with an unlimited amount of money in NYC, why wouldn't you do all those weird things he did? All except questioning the taxi drivers about ducks because apparently thats just a very hush-hush subject in NY. What we've got through out this book is basically a depressed teenager that keeps failing school and is too embarrassed to admit it since his dream is to catch bodies *shivers* and yet no one is realising the issues here. It seems like he has no parents, I mean they do exist but no one really cares about the kid. He is obviously going through massive changes and the only person he trusted enough to tell was his younger sister? Where are Holdens parents? Why aren't they looking after their son? Basically JD Salinger has given us insight into the mind of a 16 year old, the pretentious know-it-all is such a regular personality for a teen that you can only imagine what people thought of you growing up. In addition to his annoying personality, it does seem like Holden suffers from depression and can't express it (maybe he could have if he had parents that listened).
Salinger ends the story with Holden finding joy while taking his sister to the carnival which isn't so farfetched, most of my problems could be avoided by the joy of being at a carnival, and then the book ends with him writing from what seems to be a mental hospital and talking about going back to school to finish it (good for you Holden!). All of which gave us the personality growth we wanted from the poor depressed kid with the pretentious aura.
Reading a book that reminds you of your own attitude during your teen years is very hard to keep down, remembering how you may have acted is even worse therefore reading this book again brings back a lot of unwanted teen memories which makes it hard to enjoy for some.
If you do like a book with not too many events and just basically the inner dialogue and struggles of a lost 16 year old in the world, this book is for you. If you don't really like going through a book with little to no events and don't want to hear this angsty teen talk about his struggles, this book just isn't for you.
All in all, Salinger created a classic in the book world and that isn't an achievement anyone can take away from him.
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