The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger | Teen Ink

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

November 1, 2016
By elenagori SILVER, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
elenagori SILVER, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
6 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired."


“What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though.” A quote straight from the book itself, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger became the closest thing I have seen to perfection. After reading the book, I would have done anything to get the opportunity to discuss the book with the author. I had so many questions about the ending and the future of Holden that only J.D. Salinger could answer.

Classic books usually will not catch the eyes of students, because of how outdated they can be and how their plots have almost no relevancy to the lives of teenagers today. However, Holden, the protagonist, is young himself. Holden has a very negative outlook on life, he constantly calls other people phonies and fakers. Also, the main reason why he is out on his own is because of the fact that he does not do well being around other people and cannot find common interests. As well as his personality, throughout the book, Holden changes from a child into an adult. He gets put in many tough situations that he needs to solve on his own, such as him getting himself involved with a prostitute. This moment is what brought Holden to need to figure out if he would lose his innocence at that moment. 
If you are interested in reading this novel, it can be found in any library or bookstore, it is very easy to pick up. I would recommend this to any high school student and older. The novel may be too mature for younger children, but it most definitely would be suitable for any adult. Also, the novel would be suitable for anyone that enjoyed Perks of Being a Wallflower or Divergent. Divergent by Veronica Roth is similar, because a young girl, Beatrice separates herself from her family and is off on her own. There are other people around her, unlike Holden, but she is unfamiliar with all of them and is considered the “outsider.” The Catcher in the Rye is overall an amazing book and is a perfect example of how a person can change from a child to an adult.


Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 0 comments.