Catcher in the Rye

by

J. D. Salinger

  

100 Most Challenged Books

Salinger, J. D. (1945). Catcher in the rye. New York, NY:

Penguin Books.

This book was required reading in the Junior-year English classes at my high school; but, for some reason, the teacher didn’t use it the year I was in her class.  So I when I saw it was a possibility for this project, I jumped at it.  After reading it, I should have remembered the old adage, “Look before you leap.”

           

 It’s understandable why Salinger’s book would be so popular.  Since an author should write a book that readers can relate to, a 16-year-old named Holden Caulfield builds an emotional and psychological bridge with teenage readers by narrating his troubled past.

           

 My problem is I could not personally relate to anything Holden feels, thinks or experiences.  He left a prep school for poor academic behavior; and I worked my socks off at a little New Hampshire public school.  He goes to New York City – a city where I am always relieved when I get out alive.  He interacts with a multitude of people, while I love one-on-ones.  This book apparently became controversial because of its language.  This book became objectionable to me because of its entire content.  Ultimately, I came away from Catcher in the Rye without a shred of sympathy or even caring for Holden Caulfield.  Instead of reading this book, I should have spent my time catching a ham on rye.

                     

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