In this book, Holden Caulfield is telling us his story of the time that he got expelled from his fancy all-boys school known as Pencey Prep because he was failing four of his classes. Holden has had enough of the school and he’s happy that he is finally out of the school. Winter break is near and he only has to wait a few more days until he leaves. After getting into a fight with his roommate, he decides to leave early. He already knows that if he goes home early his parents would realize that he’s been kicked out. Therefore, he goes to - Reviewed by Ani M., grade 9.
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The novel takes place in 1950, but the story itself takes only about three to four days. The narrator is Holden Caulfield. He is seventeen years old, goes to Pencey Prep School, and is the typical teenager of his time. By that I mean he smokes, drinks, cusses, and getsinto ocational fights due to his temper. Holden never really says specifically where he is. The only information we have about his surroundings are that he is in a city in Pennsylvania.his surroundings are that he is in a city in Pennsylvania.
Holden’s journey begins on a Saturday in December just before school closes for Christmas break. He has been informed of getting expelled from Pencey Prep School. This is not new to him because he has been kicked out of other schools before this but, what worries him about this expulsion is his parents’ reaction to him getting expelled from another school. Holden had a roommate named Stradlater in Pencey but then he got beaten up by him because he kept bothering Stradlater about a girl he liked from his past that Stradlater was dating. He could not bear to remain in the dormitory after he has been beaten up by his roommate Stradlater and on a whim, he decides to leave the same night. However, he does not want to face his parents until they have recovered from the news of him getting expelled once again. So Holden decides to stay in a cheap hotel in New York City. While in New York City, Holden goes through this whole revelation of his past and his life in the pres ent. One big part of this is his younger sister Pheobe. During the time in New York City, Holden kept thinking about how great his sister Pheobe was and how much he missed her. She ended up helping Holden get over the depression he was going through caused by his expulsion and having Holden return home to his parents. This is not the end of the story. At the very end of the book Holden leaves off by saying he will not narrate the rest of his life after he returns home, but gives the reader signs to what exactly happens to him in the future.
This book was great. The whole time i was reading this I was bound to the story, if you will. The plot is very realistic and gives off so many different perspectives you can view the world from. I am very impressed by the author's ability to write a 200+ page book including only four days of story progression. I first picked this book up in my school library and i read the first chapter. I remember thinking o myself that this book is one of the few books that keeps me interested through out the whole story line. Another reason I picked this nook up to read was because it is for the AP Literature course at my school, and I wondered what a book in that class would be like. The only thing i disliked about the book was that it ended in a "finish the story" kind of way. Over all the book was one of the most engaging books I have read so far in my life.
Reviewed by Sky, Grade 9
Central Library
The novel's protagonist is Holden Caulfield, a sixteen year old boy, and it is written in his point of view. Every school that Holden has attended he has been expelled from, the novel begins with him being expelled from his current school, Pencey Prep. Pencey Prep is a boarding school, his roommate is Stradlater, a popular and handsome boy. Holden's next- door neighbor is Ackley who constantly comes to Holden's room and has horrible hygiene. Phoebe Caulfield is Holden's ten year old sister, she's the only one who understand Holden, she's very intelligent and Holden loves her. Holden's younger brother Allie had died three years earlier from leukemia, he's tormented by his brother's death and Holden always carries Allie's baseball glove with him. Mr. Antolini is Holden's former teacher and Holden had called Mr. Antolini one night asking if he can stay at his house since he still had not told his parents about his expulsion. Mr. Antolini is married to Mrs. Antolini, a woman who is older than Mr. Antolini, and while Holden was sleeping Mr. Antolini was petting him which crepped Holden, causing him to leave.
"Catcher in the Rye" is not my most favorite book, but you learn many life lessons from it. One lesson you can learn is that you SHOULD take life seriously, because you only live once and you wanna live it right. Holden makes a lot of mistakes and at the end you see where he's ended up, because of mistakes he had made when he was younger. Another lesson we can learn is that you should never be afraid to talk to your parents and you should always ask them for advice.
Reviewed by A.J., Grade 10
Grandview Library
The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger is a bildungsroman of the main protagonist Holden Caulfield who has been kicked out of Pencey prep school and returns to Manhattan, New York. The narration of Holden’s life when he was sixteen genuinely stresses on the struggles of the adolescents as they experience loneliness and alienation in the cold, “phony” adult world. The Catcher in the Rye is a controversial novel which was originally written for adults but has been flooded with popularity among the teenage audience for its great authenticity.
The story of Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye has been carved perfectly to match the adolescences’ way of thinking and speaking. I was speechless after finally reading something that captures the youth’s sentimentality so accurately. Holden Caulfield is quite an unlikable character, and he definitely isn’t the protagonist that I would aspire to become or even be near; but then I understood that secretly a part of me will always be like him. The heart touching alienation of Holden Caulfield teaches us to empathize with him. And he empathized back with us without any hesitation. I finally felt relaxed. No novel has ever moved me this emotionally to a point where I found myself eagerly drowning in the cozy truth it spoke. I’d read this masterpiece all over again and I also highly recommend it to everyone because the magic of the story that Holden tells is remarkable.
Reviewed by Anonymous, by 12
Glendale Central Library
The novel follows Holden Caufield, a teen attending the prestigious Pencey Preparatory School, and struggling to navigate through a society filled with "phonies", hypocrisy, and deception. Deciding he needed to escape his toxic environment at boarding school and wanting to forget about his commitments, Holden travels to New York City (unbeknownst to his peers and family). Holden, so desperately wanting to cling to his childhood years, yet understanding that he needs to mature into the adult world, is caught in a limbo state of denial, depression, and misplaced anger. Though Holden hates change, he slowly discovers its inevitability as he travels through New York, encounters unique characters, and reflects on scattered memories of childhood.
When I first read this book, I found myself constantly annoyed with Holden. His fatalist view of the world and long rants struck me the wrong way; after all, he was at a beautiful boarding school and receiving a sufficient education that would set him on a secure path for the rest of his life – so what if some students were snobs? Where was his gratitude? Needless to say, I began the book with a rather unforgiving view of Holden Caufield, yet unexpectedly ended with a profound understanding that Holden; he truly embodies the angst, depression, and fear of growing up. This book, while it may not gain your favor within the first few chapters, is one of the most insightful, symbolic, and heartfelt pieces of literature I've read so far. It will not entice you with flowery or even polite language, and to find the importance and depth of this novel, it must be diligently analyzed and reflected upon; nonetheless, it is a valuable read that has shaped my sophomore year – as I've matured, I've come to adopt a more empathetic view towards Holden, and have at times even related to him. I advise anyone who enjoys analyzing symbols, character development, and rhetoric to read this book; it is a good reminder that you are not alone in growing up, and that the fear that comes with maturing truly is universal.
Reviewed by Lola J., Grade 10
Casa Verdugo Library
The Catcher in the Rye written by D.J Salinger starts off with the main character Holden. He does not say were he specifically is when he’s telling the story.The story he tells the reader takes place a few days between the end of the fall school term and Christmas, when Holden is 16 years old. We later find out that Holden is telling the story in a mental hospital and that he lives in Agerstown, Pennsylvania.
I didn't like The Catcher in the Rye much when I read it 1 year ago because I didn't understand much of what was going on. However when I recently read it again with an audio book I liked it much more because of the characters that take place in the story. The characters are very relate able and they help progress the story well. I would recommend this book to most people who want to read a good but sometimes confusing book.
Reviewed by AB, Grade 9
Grandview Library
In this book, the reader is in the mind of the main protagonist, Holden Caulfield. Holden had been expelled from his boarding school pencey. This story is all revolved around what Holden is thinking about at all times.Throughout the story Holden is trying to found out what to do in his last days in Pencey and New York. He goes to bars, makes many bad decisions, and basically has a mental breakdown which is really when the story get's interesting.
I really enjoyed this book. This would probably be one of the most interesting books I had ever read. It was very interesting how the reader got the explore the characters mind and go through his breakdown. It made be want to keep reading to know how the character dealt with his mentality. I truly recommend this book to most people who want to feel like they are in the book and alongside the character in the story.
Reviewed by E.B., Grade 9
Grandview Library
Only taking place over the course of three days, Holden Caulfield discovers himself after being kicked out of his school. Now he walks the streets of New York, wondering about his purpose in life. In doing so, Caulfield meets interesting people on his journey that help him discover himself. Holden travels the streets with the memory of his dead brother and his red hat. The book allows readers to tap into his mind due to being written like a stream of consciousness.
I hate this book. Holden is such an unlikable character and is very infuriating. He is not a reliable character and tends to curse too much for my liking. I did like the stream of conscious type of writing because it is interesting to read thoughts. There is a lot of symbolism and it is very vague. The only good part of the novel was when he explained the meaning of the title. It was a fast, but aggravating book. People should only read this book if it is required for school.
Reviewed by Stacy, Grade 12
Pacific Park Library
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