Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Search - A Catcher in the Rye

A Catcher in the Rye
A Catcher in the Rye
Author: J. D. Salinger
The classic 1951 novel by J.D. Salinger is analyzed. The title, J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, part of Chelsea House Publishers’ Modern Critical Interpretations series, presents the most important 20th-century criticism on J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye through extracts of critical essays by well-known literary c...  more »
ISBN-13: 9781556511271
ISBN-10: 1556511272
Publication Date: 4/1989
Edition: BkCasstt
Rating:
  • Currently 4.5/5 Stars.
 3

4.5 stars, based on 3 ratings
Publisher: Cram Cassettes Study Guides
Book Type: Audio Cassette
Other Versions: Paperback, Hardcover
Members Wishing: 3
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

castelli avatar reviewed A Catcher in the Rye on + 11 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 12
Although this is a classic, and the familiar title tends to turn people away.. I still love it.

If you read for entertainment, this might not appeal to you. But if you love to get more than skin deep into a book, this one has ALL of the elements for you!

The adolescent hyppocrasy of the main character throughout the book is something to look for. The symbolism of crossing roads, leaving behind the innocence of childhood-- all battles this rebellious, troubled, multiple attempt at private-school student battles. An easy read for anyone above the age of 15... Truly worth it. A must read.

And finding out why this book is told through the eyes of the main character towards the end is worth finishing the book for. It's a thinker.
Bibliocrates avatar reviewed A Catcher in the Rye on + 252 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 7
I read this book simply because it is considered a 20th-century classic. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started it. I was not at all impressed. I kept waiting for something major to happen to Holden, for a story, but I realized toward the end that nothing really was going to happen, no story here! It was very memoir-like in that respect, almost pointless. At times I was a bit annoyed with the narrative, perhaps due to its adolescent voice. This book was only mildly entertaining. I may have appreciated this book more if I had read it back in high school. I'm glad I finally read it, but I can't say that I'd recommend it!
reviewed A Catcher in the Rye on + 9 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
I read this in High School and then reread it again recently. It was still entertaining the second time around.
reviewed A Catcher in the Rye on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
One of the greatest literary pieces in modern history, a must-read!
reviewed A Catcher in the Rye on + 40 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Perhaps I would have related more had I read this one in high school, but as a 30+ year old female, this book held little interest for me. I read it at the suggestion of my husband who thought it was brilliant, and I just found it to be okay. This is one of those books I would pick up and read if I had no other options. The mindset of a disenchanted cynical teen boy is hardly something I call interesting, and his actions throughtout the story were more disappointing and fruitless than interesting to me. And why anyone would consider this book for censorship is beyond me. A rather boring story about a rather boring outcast of a boy is hardly cause for concern.
Read All 129 Book Reviews of "A Catcher in the Rye"

Please Log in to Rate these Book Reviews

reviewed A Catcher in the Rye on + 7 more book reviews
I did not care for this book. Even though it is supposed to be one of the classics, I felt it was full of too much bad language. I did not like the main character and found the book distasteful.
mrswiggs avatar reviewed A Catcher in the Rye on + 51 more book reviews
I hated this book. Holden is the most annoying character I have ever come across.
reviewed A Catcher in the Rye on
Actually, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would! I decided to read it because it's on a banned book list and I wanted to see if I could figure out why it's on the list. Honestly, I couldn't. I recommend reading this.
sagesnapdragon avatar reviewed A Catcher in the Rye on + 4 more book reviews
This is an excellent book, full of glorious teenage angst. It is a great read that reminds us that sometimes our feelings are not caused by one thing or another, but are valid nonetheless.
ReadswhenIcan avatar reviewed A Catcher in the Rye on + 66 more book reviews
Okay, so I had the chance to finally read this book. Not sure what all the fuss is about though. Seems like it's kind of flat to me.

So it's about this kid named Holden Caulfield. To me, he just seemed like a typical, lazy teenager who can't seem to get his life together. He doesn't like school, he doesn't like other people, he's depressed, and he's sexually inept.

I'm not sure if this why this book was banned other than the language for the 1950's was probably too harsh, but I found it fairly tame compared to other books written today. It definitely doesn't hold up to today's standards of writing.

It was an okay book, I liked it. Would I recommend it? Not really, unless you are one that wants to read banned books and or controversial books of the times. Otherwise I would pass and read something a little more substantial.
reviewed A Catcher in the Rye on + 39 more book reviews
Although Holden Caulfield's luck isn't necessarily great, this book is hilarious. The comic relief makes it one of my favorite books.
reviewed A Catcher in the Rye on + 636 more book reviews
I must admit, I wish that I read this book for the first time while I was in high school. It would have been a great book to read in school, too - I definitely would have preferred to read this over some of the other assigned books. It would have been a lot of fun to discuss. And it really is amazing just how timeless this book is, I mean, for the most part, it feels like this could have been published this year. It just feels very fresh and modern, which I suppose is one of the tell-tale signs of a true classic novel. I didn't really know what to expect from the book, and I did really enjoy reading it. I will say, though, I read somewhere that there is a window of opportunity to read this book, and that if you read it when too young, or too old, you lose the book's full power, and I can definitely see how that statement is true. Still, Holden Caulfield is a great character, but I would have liked him even more if I had been introduced to him at a younger age.
reviewed A Catcher in the Rye on + 21 more book reviews
I too didn't get all the hype. I did find Holden funny at times, but mainly he was depressing, and all the swearing irritated me.
reviewed A Catcher in the Rye on + 124 more book reviews
I love this classic!
Tribefan avatar reviewed A Catcher in the Rye on + 56 more book reviews
I enjoyed reading this book!

Novel by J.D. Salinger, published in 1951. The influential and widely acclaimed story details the two days in the life of 16-year-old Holden Caulfield after he has been expelled from prep school. Confused and disillusioned, he searches for truth and rails against the "phoniness" of the adult world. He ends up exhausted and emotionally ill, in a psychiatrist's office. After he recovers from his breakdown, Holden relates his experiences to the reader.

This is on the list of banned books

Catcher in the Rye. J.D. Salinger. Published in 1951, this immediate best seller almost simultaneously became a popular target of censorship. A 1991-92 study by the People for the American Way found that the novel was among those most likely to be censored based on the fact that it is "anti-Christian." Challenged by Concerned Citizens of Florida who wanted the book removed from a high school library (1991) in Leesburg, Florida due to "profanity, reference to suicide, vulgarity, disrespect, and anti-Christian sentiments." They were unsucessful: a review committee voted unanimously to retain the book.
pfcs avatar reviewed A Catcher in the Rye on + 7 more book reviews
Enjoyed the book. It was an interesting view of the inner thoughts of a confused young man.
reviewed A Catcher in the Rye on + 6 more book reviews
A great book and a quick read..it was fun reading the dialect from which the time the book is based on.nice if you have a teenage son...makes you realize everything is going to be o.k. lol
reviewed A Catcher in the Rye on + 38 more book reviews
This is such a good book, and a classic at that! A tale of a young man trying to figure out his life. Must read!
reviewed A Catcher in the Rye on + 3 more book reviews
its easy to see why this book has made every 1oo best novels in the english language i have seen because its compeling and we can all relate to it because everyone has felt lost or confused

Book Wiki

Common Title
People/Characters
Holden Caulfield (Primary Character)
Phoebe Caulfield (Major Character)
Allie Caulfield (Major Character)
Ackley (Average Character)
Stradlater (Average Character)
(Show all 13 People/Characters)

Genres: