Reviews

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Only show reviews with written explanations

sidharthvardhan's review against another edition

3.0

Teenager crap

Holden sounds perfectly, rather too perfectly like a teenager ..... and, you see, that is his problem. Reading this book is same as listening to a teenager rambling about a thousand and one things wrong with the world. One could see why it invites such mixed reactions, Holden is a very poor narrator (except may be opening and last lines); he uses that teenager jargon so often that at times they are more visible on page than punctuation marks. People of his own age group may relate to him but with other he make a poor case. He is too confused to do his own self justice. He has a few good qualities; but you can be too busy frowning at his language to note them. I think Salinger could have done a much better job if he would have told the story himself rather than giving the mike to Holden.

Waiting for action

A second problem to me was that almost nothing happens in the story ... we are given Holden's past while he dances with girls or is dating them or is busy drinking or smoking; while rambling about how everything is wrong with this world .... I'm telling you it is very difficult to sympathize with this guy. If Salinger had taken us through those changes along with Holden, we might have related to him better - rather what we have is a teenager rambling about his past.

Frustration

The thing that is best captured in Holden is the frustration that is faced in teenager. All of sudden they are faced with difficult choices- studies, career, sexual, life-style etc. There is as much advice as are mouths - at times giving opposite meanings. Moreover, teenagers have nobody really to talk with on those subjects. With friends, teachers, parents and siblings; they have appearances to maintain. Even if they did want to talk about their problems, they are themselves too confused and probably don't know what is bothering them - did I tell you how poor a narrator Holden is? There is a certain loneliness in Holden despite all his friends and family - which comes of being unable to talk about such pressures. Some teenage criminals might have relate to crime but really book never discusses anything crimanal - in fact, Holden detests violence.

Two stars for for average story; three extra stars for being first book to bring out such issues like teenage sexuality and angst minus one for because of bad narrative style.