THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

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by J. D. Salinger (1951)

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Holden Caulfield has failed in yet another school. After getting kicked out, Holden undertakes a quest for knowledge. As he engages with a wide variety of people, we receive Holden’s unspoken assessment of them in real time. Indeed, we perceive the world exclusively through Holden’s eyes as he navigates the adult world and his own coming of age. Throughout his journey, which is as much internal as actual, Holden cannot find a hero or a worthwhile cause. Phonies are everywhere. Fake people conforming to meaningless social standards. People pretending to be happy when they are really screaming inside. Liars, deceivers, scammers, but also classmates, teachers, and parents. They’re all phonies. Despite all this, Holden will pull through and become the catcher in the rye. Fiction. 220 pages.

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DETAILS:

Title: The catcher in the rye

Year: 1951

Author: J. D. Salinger

Pages: 220

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Book review by Keith Salter