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THE CATCHER IN THE RYE is the novel that made Holden Caulfield a household name and
forced its author, J.D. Salinger, into permanent seclusion. Holden, a mentally ill teenage
boy, narrates this harrowing story from a room in a mental institution.
Although he is incredibly bright, Holden is the archetypical slacker who is constantly
being kicked out of prep schools. He has no role models, no ambition, and no one to turn
to --- not even his family. His younger brother is dead, his older brother is in
Hollywood, his parents are eternally disappointed in him, and his little sister, Phoebe is
so young she can't possibly understand what Holden doesn't understand himself.
What I enjoyed most about this book was the fact that it spoke the truth, even if it
wasn't about your average teenager. Not all of us have witnessed a suicide, dealt with a
sibling's death, or had the unique desire to be "the catcher in the rye." But
those of us who want to hear about Holden's world can appreciate his feelings about
"phonies."
One moment that leaves an indelible impression on the reader is the last page: Holden
says, "Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you'll start missing
everybody." When you finish THE CATCHER IN THE RYE --- which does end abruptly ---
you really do miss Holden. Is that what makes us go back, again and again, to reread this
classic story? I would say, most definitely.
--- Reviewed by Diana Middleton
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