Jeden z nejpopulárnějších amerických poválečných románů od klasika moderní literatury. Příběh vyprávěný sedmnáctiletým Holdenem Caulfieldem je vlastně popisem necelých tří dnů jeho cesty domů (po opuštění přípravky v Pencey) předvánočním New Yorkem, kdy se Holden konfrontuje s řadou lidí (spolužáci, venkovanky ze Seattlu, prostitutka a její pasák, rodiče, učitel...). Více než putováním prostorem je tato cesta však spíše putováním od nevinnosti k vědoucnosti, od sebeneznalosti k sebeuvědomění, od izolace k pocitu sounáležitosti s okolním světem. Černý humor, jímž je tento svět nazírán, je jednou ze zbraní proti němu: člověka, který není schopen se světu smát, brzy jeho zoufalství zahubí.
"I know he's dead! Don't you think I know that? I can still like them, though, can't I? Just because somebody's dead, you don't stop liking them, for God's sake-especially if they were about a thousand times nicer than people you know that're alive and all."
Apparently this came out in 1945. I love how it's written in the way we still talk.
Reviews go that this is a great novel, it is one of the best ever written, depicts New York in that time perfectly; so on and so on but this gets a solid "it was okay" from me. I disliked Holden Caulfield too much to enjoy it. If Dolores Umbridge (Harry Potter) was a lead in a book I still think I would dislike Holden Caulfield more.
I struggled with rating this book, it is one of the few this year I could probably write a longer review on. Because it made me feel something it should get a higher star rating. On the other hand Holden didn't grow as a character. He dislikes people because they are phoney and not intellectual enough for him, but I like to believe that everyone else is smart enough to realize Holden is a lazy, unmotivated drop-out and is not worth their time …
Reviews go that this is a great novel, it is one of the best ever written, depicts New York in that time perfectly; so on and so on but this gets a solid "it was okay" from me. I disliked Holden Caulfield too much to enjoy it. If Dolores Umbridge (Harry Potter) was a lead in a book I still think I would dislike Holden Caulfield more.
I struggled with rating this book, it is one of the few this year I could probably write a longer review on. Because it made me feel something it should get a higher star rating. On the other hand Holden didn't grow as a character. He dislikes people because they are phoney and not intellectual enough for him, but I like to believe that everyone else is smart enough to realize Holden is a lazy, unmotivated drop-out and is not worth their time to socialize with. And still Holden is too dense to understand why he can't integrate in society.
A morbid part of me wanted Holden to run through Central Park in a drunken stupor, sit down on a bench and freeze to death; at least he would no longer be a strain on his parents and whatever "friends" he had. Instead he hits rock bottom, ends up out west where everyone is phoney and that's that. That kills me.
Only just noticed that I didn't give this a review.
Read this a few years back now, around the time I started reading grown up books. I hated it, it takes a very talented writer to create a character that is so horrible you actually want to go into the book and pulverise him. Everything he does is annoying, everybody he meets is annoying and everywhere he goes is annoying. For the whole story I was cheering on anything that might have the slightest chance of blowing up in his face.
Salinger is a genius for managing to get these emotions out of readers, especially when you consider that this isn't a long book, he gets a lot done in a short time. The book itself is well written and deserves 4 stars.
I finally read The Catcher in the Rye! It's about time...
I liked it, and I see why it's such an important (and controversial) book. It's not really my style and won't make my list of all-time favorite books, but I'm glad I read it and I will recommend it to other people who are thinking about reading it or have been trying to avoid it (like me).
Perhaps I've missed something about this book, but I didn't much enjoy it. I didn't get much sense of place from the 'kid', and I found the way it was written - with huge great non-sequiturs - not particuarly enjoyable. A book that is a classic read, perhaps, but not really one for me.
What can I say about this book that hasn't been said a thousand times before? Well, this, actually:
I first read The Catcher in the Rye when I was in school; it might have been late elementary school, or it could have been junior high. In any case, it was in the late 1970s. And I believed that it was a contemporary book. Years later, I discovered that it had been published in 1951. That simply amazed me.
Some of it certainly went over my head as a young teen, of course. I was fairly innocent back then. Now I get it, of course. But even now, in early middle age, I can't help but feel that Holden is a friend.
I see I'm wandering into cliche.
One thing: I did find a book which is remarkably similar in tone to The Catcher in the Rye. It's fundamentally …
What can I say about this book that hasn't been said a thousand times before? Well, this, actually:
I first read The Catcher in the Rye when I was in school; it might have been late elementary school, or it could have been junior high. In any case, it was in the late 1970s. And I believed that it was a contemporary book. Years later, I discovered that it had been published in 1951. That simply amazed me.
Some of it certainly went over my head as a young teen, of course. I was fairly innocent back then. Now I get it, of course. But even now, in early middle age, I can't help but feel that Holden is a friend.
I see I'm wandering into cliche.
One thing: I did find a book which is remarkably similar in tone to The Catcher in the Rye. It's fundamentally different, mind you; I certainly don't want to imply that there was plagiarism involved. Not at all! The Teddy Bear Habit by James Lincoln Collier was written in the 1960s, for the 10-16 year old age group (roughly speaking), and includes a lot of humor as well as action and suspense; the hero has problems, but they're nowhere near as serious as Holden's. On the other hand, the book is set in Greenwich Village.
But something about the internal narration by young George Stable is so reminiscent of Holden's inner voice that in my memory I've sometimes mixed the two together. So if you love The Catcher in the Rye, you may want to give The Teddy-Bear Habit a try. See if you can pick up one of the older editions, illustrated by New Yorker illustrator Lorenz; they complement the text wonderfully.
a very personal account of a teenage boy in living in new york city. it was at times a bit hard to believe the main character was only 16 years old. the ending is dramatic and sweet.
