The Catcher in the Rye

I'd first heard the name Holden Caulfield when I heard the song “Who Wrote Holden Caulfield” by Green Day on the internet radio. I thought to myself then, ‘ Holden Caulfield must be a book or song or something'. How wrong I was!

The story in this book is one which many of us have come across ourselves at some point or the other. It's a typical adolescent issue, and many of us may not want to give up our childish innocence. I remember when I was an adolescent, I used to constantly be at war with my parents. They'd tell me to study and I'd be a rebel. I'd do something else; like play a game on the computer or text my friends or read a book.

The narrator had done an excellent job in depicting scenes astute in adolescent life. Smoking, underage drinking. Salinger has done an excellent job in bringing about the life of a character that will remain dear to us years after we've grown up and look back to our teenage years. There was an excellent review above mine that depicted exactly this.

As teenagers, we find this novel to be entirely too accurate to be true. Salinger has done an excellent job in striking a relationship with the character in the novel such that they become true. There are times in this novel that you'll think the book has been written by Holden Caulfield and not Salinger. Certainly, Salinger was a very gifted author. It's a pity he chose not to publish any more books.

The moment that you pick up the book, you'll get the feeling that you're going to love this, no matter what. I'm not such a great fan on classics, but this one sure is going to be favourite of mine, no matter what. The simple and casual language used in this novel helps us settle back more comfortably into our recliners and read with a more casual approach, knowing that thinking would not be required much for this novel.

At the end of the day though, when all is said and done, and you're out there wondering if you should run away or do something equally stupid, think again. Caulfield chose the right thing in the end. Many of us that perceive the world to be black and white isn't sadly so. It doesn't revolve around you, and you shouldn't let that get to your head. So what if someone ignores you for a time? Certainly they have bigger and better things than worry about your silliness 24/7.

Read this a few years later; maybe when you are 50, when you are more mature. You will understand why Caulfield didn't runaway then. Salinger has thrust maturity upon Caulfield's years in the end. That's his way of getting across the message. And maybe it should be yours to read this.

You'll need to get a move on and start reading the book if you haven't already.