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Leslie Manning's Reviews > The Catcher in the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye
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I have decided that 2019 will be the year I review classics. As an author, former English teacher, and current private tutor, I love offering new information to other readers, particularly middle and high school students.
The Catcher in the Rye, by JD Salinger, has been reviewed so many times, and there are so many critique articles and books written about it, I am not sure if I will add anything new to the discussion, but here is my opin.
The plot is slow coming, with an exposition that takes up about 2/3 of the book. You may feel that the plot goes nowhere, merely meanders much in the way that Holden, the main character, meanders along the streets of New York. There are no dead bodies on the first page, no vampires to conquer, no in-your-face mystery to solve. This book is old school, and utilizes old-school exposition. I happen to appreciate long expositions if they are necessary, and in this case this extra slow journey toward the climax is not only necessary, but becomes a backdrop to the entire theme.
There's that word that makes most of my students cringe: theme.
The plot in a nutshell follows the story of a privileged student who can't seem to succeed in school, in relationships, or in any other areas of his angst-ridden life. At first glance, Holden, a sixteen-year-old boy, seems like a selfish, persnickety, sarcastic, and jaded young man. But don't let this in-your-face persona fool you.
Beneath the exterior Holden allows the world to see is a young man filled with grief; deep emotional pain. Even the strongest could crumble under its weight. The author uses a deft hand at showing us Holden's outside shell while slowly chipping away at the hardness until we get to the soft nut inside. And it is very soft. There are crucial scenes where we get to see this softness permeate. If you have not read the book, and you should, just know that these scenes are deliberately placed in order for the reader to decide whether or not Holden really sees the world as "phony" or if he sees the world as "ugly." Sarcasm is used to cover up grief. Young men, I think, are more prone to this behavior than their female counterparts. Girls tend to cry or lean on a friend's shoulder for support, while boys tend to keep everything inside, until they find a brick wall to punch. And keep in mind, this story takes place in the 1950s. Boys then, even more than now, were expected to keep their feelings buried. Holden is the product of an era. But this does not stop tragedy from affecting his heart--it merely forces pain to wear a disguise.
I want you to like Holden, even more than feel sorry for him. I want you to see all young men, all teenagers dealing with angst, as people who are harboring pain, yet are too afraid or timid to share it with others. I would like to add that this is one of the first books about how life affects some teens, the first to lay it out there with brutal honesty. Perhaps that is the real reason the book was banned in so many schools and libraries.
Parts of the book to keep an eye on:
1. The scene where Holden shares the "Catcher in the Rye" poem with his little sister
2. The scenes where Holden, in his infamously sarcastic way, defends women
3. The very last page of the book (DO NOT read ahead)
Specifics I do NOT think you should read into, as they detract from Holden's truth:
1. The red hat
2. The scene with Mr. Antolini
3. The constant use of profanity
I like Holden. As a matter of fact, after reading this book a dozen times in twenty years, I have come to love him; to want to protect him. I want to take him into my arms and hold him, and allow him to let out what it is he needs to expel. If he were my son, I would want to save him, just as he wants to save himself and others. I hope you love him, too. If you don't, put the book on a shelf and pick it up again in a few years. Hopefully, like me, you will learn to love him, and maybe even like him a little.
The Catcher in the Rye, by JD Salinger, has been reviewed so many times, and there are so many critique articles and books written about it, I am not sure if I will add anything new to the discussion, but here is my opin.
The plot is slow coming, with an exposition that takes up about 2/3 of the book. You may feel that the plot goes nowhere, merely meanders much in the way that Holden, the main character, meanders along the streets of New York. There are no dead bodies on the first page, no vampires to conquer, no in-your-face mystery to solve. This book is old school, and utilizes old-school exposition. I happen to appreciate long expositions if they are necessary, and in this case this extra slow journey toward the climax is not only necessary, but becomes a backdrop to the entire theme.
There's that word that makes most of my students cringe: theme.
The plot in a nutshell follows the story of a privileged student who can't seem to succeed in school, in relationships, or in any other areas of his angst-ridden life. At first glance, Holden, a sixteen-year-old boy, seems like a selfish, persnickety, sarcastic, and jaded young man. But don't let this in-your-face persona fool you.
Beneath the exterior Holden allows the world to see is a young man filled with grief; deep emotional pain. Even the strongest could crumble under its weight. The author uses a deft hand at showing us Holden's outside shell while slowly chipping away at the hardness until we get to the soft nut inside. And it is very soft. There are crucial scenes where we get to see this softness permeate. If you have not read the book, and you should, just know that these scenes are deliberately placed in order for the reader to decide whether or not Holden really sees the world as "phony" or if he sees the world as "ugly." Sarcasm is used to cover up grief. Young men, I think, are more prone to this behavior than their female counterparts. Girls tend to cry or lean on a friend's shoulder for support, while boys tend to keep everything inside, until they find a brick wall to punch. And keep in mind, this story takes place in the 1950s. Boys then, even more than now, were expected to keep their feelings buried. Holden is the product of an era. But this does not stop tragedy from affecting his heart--it merely forces pain to wear a disguise.
I want you to like Holden, even more than feel sorry for him. I want you to see all young men, all teenagers dealing with angst, as people who are harboring pain, yet are too afraid or timid to share it with others. I would like to add that this is one of the first books about how life affects some teens, the first to lay it out there with brutal honesty. Perhaps that is the real reason the book was banned in so many schools and libraries.
Parts of the book to keep an eye on:
1. The scene where Holden shares the "Catcher in the Rye" poem with his little sister
2. The scenes where Holden, in his infamously sarcastic way, defends women
3. The very last page of the book (DO NOT read ahead)
Specifics I do NOT think you should read into, as they detract from Holden's truth:
1. The red hat
2. The scene with Mr. Antolini
3. The constant use of profanity
I like Holden. As a matter of fact, after reading this book a dozen times in twenty years, I have come to love him; to want to protect him. I want to take him into my arms and hold him, and allow him to let out what it is he needs to expel. If he were my son, I would want to save him, just as he wants to save himself and others. I hope you love him, too. If you don't, put the book on a shelf and pick it up again in a few years. Hopefully, like me, you will learn to love him, and maybe even like him a little.
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Emily
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rated it 2 stars
Jan 18, 2019 11:48PM
I hated this book so much when I had to read it in high school that I hate to say that your review almost makes me want to give it another shot. The word shot makes me think of John Lennon, though, and it's a vicious circle... Not that Salinger is to blame for what his work inspired one person to do
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Hi Emily! Thanks for your response to Catcher in the Rye. Yes, the Lennon murder was a tragedy, for sure. Of course, mental illness could have reared its ugly head in many ways, it just happened to choose the MC of Catcher as an excuse for a senseless murder.
I did not even read the novel until college, and it bored me to tears. But as a former English teacher and current tutor, I have had the pleasure of re-reading this book many times, so my mind definitely changed. If you do pick it up again, and I hope you do, keep in mind that it while the author is a product of his time, the story was way ahead of its time both in structure (or lack of it) and content. While there aren't any in-your-face plot devices like in most books today, there is this slow saturation of story that I hope will interest you. As an aside, sometimes we dislike a book in high school because of the way a teacher handles it. ; )
