The Catcher in the Rye

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: J.D. Salinger
Format: Paperback
Pages: 277
Rating: 6 out of 10

Summary (Goodreads): The hero-narrator of THE CATCHER IN THE RYE is an ancient child of sixteen, a native New Yorker named Holden Caulfield. Through circumstances that tend to preclude adult, secondhand description, he leaves his prep school in Pennsylvania and goes underground in New York City for three days. The boy himself is at once too simple and too complex for us to make any final comment about him or his story. Perhaps the safest thing we can say about Holden is that he was born in the world not just strongly attracted to beauty but, almost, hopelessly impaled on it. There are many voices in this novel: children's voices, adult voices, underground voices-but Holden's voice is the most eloquent of all. Transcending his own vernacular, yet remaining marvelously faithful to it, he issues a perfectly articulated cry of mixed pain and pleasure. However, like most lovers and clowns and poets of the higher orders, he keeps most of the pain to, and for, himself. The pleasure he gives away, or sets aside, with all his heart. It is there for the reader who can handle it to keep.

My Quick Thoughts: I can't really review this because, well, it's a super popular classic but I do have some thoughts. When I was in school people always mentioned this book so when my class didn't read it, I thought I was missing out but I wasn't missing out as much as I thought. Yes, it is a classic and if you read many of those you should read this one. However, it didn't really rock my world. I made it to the end and it was an easy enough read it being so short but it definitely won't be my new favourite but I could see maybe reading it again. It seemed to be one of those novels that you have to break down and think about while you read so that you can get everything out of it and I just wasn't up to analyzing it. 

There was a lot of swearing and the ending came suddenly without much of a wrap up.

If you liked Perks of Being a Wallflower than this book is similar so you might like it too.

Enjoy!

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Reviewer: Kristen 
My Rating: 9 out of 10

My Thoughts: I basically disagree with everything Kelsey said, as this is seriously one of my favourite novels. I think the reason I didn't like The Perks of Being a Wallflower as much as everyone else seems to is because I feel loyal to this book (Weird wording, can't do any better). This is one of my favourites, and will always be one of my favourites. J D Salinger is brilliant.