Review: The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

4 stars for The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger.

This is a depressing book. I cannot remember when the last time was that I read such a depressing story.

The male protagonist, Holden Caulfield is a 16-year old adolescent who swears a lot and isn't in the mood to do things, many things, or anything in fact. He is a disturbed young man who is prone to fantastic bouts of exaggeration. Not only that, Holden displays clear signs of severe depression, anxiety and an inability to cope with his emotions. His first person narratives contain hints of past sexual abuse which contributes to his distrust of adults and his mental health struggles. Due to his mental state, Holden's perspective is often seen as unreliable, making his interpretation of events, such as the encounter with Mr Antolini, subject to debate.

While Holden may seem a very unlikeable character, what with his overbearing swearing, hyperbolic expressions, deliberate lying and thoughtless spending, his actions often reveal a deeper sensitivity and consideration of others. He is a sensitive, kind-hearted teenager dealing with trauma, loss and loneliness rather than the spoiled brat that he appears to be.

On the surface, Holden seems indifferent and does not care about anything, but that is a mask. Deep down, he does care for his friends and family especially, just that he pretends not to to avoid being hurt again. He gets genuinely emotional and passionate when he talks about his brother or his fantasy of being the "catcher in the rye" (catching children before they fall). The book reads like a boy who grows up too soon and not being listened to, and now, he is trying to act tough while also trying to protect other children from the same thing.

The novel explores themes such as depression, loss, grief, and self-destructive behavior.

It also reflects themes of Childhood Emotional Neglect. Set in the 1950s before such terminology existed, the book illustrates how Holden’s parents handle grief and are notably absent from his emotional life. Following a family tragedy, their response is to send him to boarding school rather than engaging with him. Their subsequent bewilderment at his poor academic performance suggest a lack of attunement to his psychological needs and emotional state.

This is likely a book that hits differently and offers different perspectives depending on the reader's age. Sadly, I did not have the chance to read it during my school years. I wonder how it would have felt to me if I had read it then.


Publisher: Penguin
Publication date: 1 Jan 1994

@}--->>--->>-----

"If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth."

The hero-narrator of The Catcher in the Rye is an ancient child of sixteen, a native New Yorker named Holden Caufield. 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.

*Blurb from Goodreads*

Add to:


Links to purchase: