Book Review: Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

With this review out of the way, I'm caught up again.  At least on book reviews.  Now I need to do other things.  Like an Op/Ed piece that is just burning at the back of my head.  Or homework.  Yeah, I could do homework.  Certainly have enough of that to do.

Source: Amazon.com

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

From the book’s cover:

Anyone who has read J.D. Salinger's New Yorker stories--particularly A Perfect Day for Bananafish, Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut, The Laughing Man, and For Esme With Love and Squalor--will not be surprised by the fact that his first novel is full of children. The hero-narrator of The Catcher in the Rye is an ancient child of sixteen, a native New Yorker named Holden Caulfield.

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. The boy himself is at once too simple and too complex for us to make any final comment about him or his story. Perhaps the safest thing we can say about Holden is that he was born in the world not just strongly attracted to beauty but, almost, hopelessly impaled on it.

There are many voices in this novel: children's voices, adult voices, underground voices-but Holden's voice is the most eloquent of all. Transcending his own vernacular, yet remaining marvelously faithful to it, he issues a perfectly articulated cry of mixed pain and pleasure. However, like most lovers and clowns and poets of the higher orders, he keeps most of the pain to, and for, himself. The pleasure he gives away, or sets aside, with all his heart. It is there for the reader who can handle it to keep.

Synopsis:

Oh. This will be a bit of a tough one. How to synopsize (is that the word?) a book that pretty much lost me on a regular basis? Let me see if I can do this succinctly. I have been going long lately, so let's do it briefly and be done, yeah?

Catcher in the Rye is a book that, to me, seems like a long episode of that show Seinfeld. But not funny. A bad episode of Seinfeld. Or watching one in reverse. But not like that episode where they did things in reverse chronological order. You know, the one where Elaine goes to that wedding in India and everybody finds out she had previously slept with the groom?

The rambling I'm doing fits the storytelling of A Catcher in the Rye pretty well. This is disturbing to me. I'll explain the plot in brief, and then you'll know why. But first, let's press on in the synopsis, shall we?

Our protagonist, Holden Caulfield, has been bounced from his third prep school. It's the 1940s, or so I gathered. We meet some of the guys that Holden is acquainted with at school, as well as one of his teachers. This teacher gives Holden some pretty good advice, but spends most of his effort berating our sixteen year old lead character, and so Holden doesn't pay much attention.

We also learn about some of Holden's family. He lost a brother to Leukemia, who he appears to have loved very much. He has an older brother whom he calls "a prostitute for Hollywood." He writes screenplays, apparently. Holden hates movies. Already I think he's a bit weird.

Holden's younger sister is also someone he is quite fond of, and she plays an important role at the conclusion of the book. As for Holden's mom and dad, they didn't stick well in my memory, as Holden is avoiding them for most of the book. The only thing I recall specifically is that Holden's mother has ears like a bloodhound. I think that's the quip he makes. He is sure he'll get caught at home because she'll hear him if he tries to sneak out of his sister's room and then out the front door. But that comes toward the end of the book again. See what I mean about how this book felt like an episode of Seinfeld in reverse? it's got me thinking backward and forward here. Confuscating, it is. That's slang for something that is both confusing and complicated, by the way. I looked it up.

Definition of "Confuscating" on UrbanDictionary.com. Yes, I know it's not a REAL dictionary. Wikipedia isn't a REAL encyclopedia either, don't you know?

Anyway, back to Holden's exit from his latest, and last, prep school. He decides to go to New York and hang out until Christmas Break begins, so his parents won't be so upset with him for getting thrown out of another expensive school. He was failing four of his five subjects - English being his best, he says. I'd believe it. He's an articulate little bugger, his crude language notwithstanding.

We follow Holden's adventures in New York through the rest of the book. It is important to note that the book is written from Holden's perspective. He is telling the reader what he thinks, and what is going on. This is both good and bad, in my estimation. Helps you feel attached to the story and the character, but gets really confuscating at times (there's that word again! Let's see how often I can use it in one review, shall we? maybe I can get it to really catch on in modern vocabulary usage).

On his way to New York, Holden meets the mother of one of his classmates at his prep school, and snows her a bit. Tells her that her son is a great guy. He also seems to make subtle advances on the woman, whom he says is not bad looking. This shows you just a taste of what is to come. The guy is reprehensible in many ways. And yet still sympathetic, to an extent. I suppose this partly explains the novel's enduring charm.

Holden meets up with a girlfriend in New York, and goes through drama with her. He daydreams almost constantly about another girl that he has what may be true feelings for. He thinks of family and friends often. He goes to a lounge and tries to drink, but the waiter refuses to serve him. He dances with an attractive blonde who spends the whole time looking for movie stars.

He goes back to his hotel (the kid's got money - "dough," he keeps calling it) and takes up the elevator attendant/pimp's proposition (nice pun there: 'take's up' - you know, going up? As in an elevator?) to have a girl come up to his room. But when she arrives, he can't do it. He admits he's a virgin here, to the reader, but not to the girl.

The girl leaves after being paid five bucks to just talk, but she comes back with her pimp and Holden gets "chiseled," as he calls it. They leave with $10 of Holden's money - the five he gave and five more that the aggressive and violent pimp claims was part of the original deal.

What else? He goes and buys a record for his sister. Goes to a play with his would-be girlfriend that gives him so much drama. Not the one he keeps thinking of though. I don't recall ever meeting her. After the disastrous date, Holden goes out and gets drunk. He keeps asking people about where the ducks go in the winter. The ones who live on the pond in Central Park South. It seems to be a big deal to him. But nobody takes the question seriously.

Eventually Holden ends up at home, but as I mentioned above, he is ducking his parents. He gets money from his little sister. He leaves and goes to stay with somebody named Mr. Antolini. I missed the relationship this man has with Holden. A former teacher of some sort? Sorry, but you'll have to look it up. If you're ravenous with curiosity.

Anyway, Antolini gives Holden some of the best advice in the whole book. I was quite impressed by the guy. But then later, after Holden has fallen asleep, he is awoken by Antolini petting his head. He makes a quick exit - Holden that is. I am left wonder, what was that all about? Confuscating? Totally.

Well, I could describe the rest, but I'll just skip to the chase. This is starting to feel like an assignment for an English class that I wouldn't have liked very much. Caulfield ends up in an mental institution. Not much is said about how he specifically got there. He just gives some parting comments and the book ends. Why he got there specifically, I can't say. That is part of the mystique of the book, I suppose. He seems just as confuscated about it as the reader (in this case, me).

Now, since I feel I haven't done this book a decent review by summarizing it, I'm going to cheat and use somebody else's stuff. Yes, I do that from time to time. The author of the used material can take it a s a compliment. I'm stuck, and I see something better in someone else's words. So here goes:

Published to acclaim in 1951, The Catcher in the Rye is by far the most renown of J.D. Salinger's works. Its release both infuriated and elated the public and critics alike. Salinger's only complete novel, it has become one of the great classics of post-war American Literature. Remaining a best-seller since its publication and selling over 65 million copies, The Catcher in the Rye has commanded the affection of each generation of readers for more than half of a century. The novel's impact is ongoing. Innovative for its time and characterizing an era in American history, it continues to influence the way in which society defines itself as a result of its enduring popularity and force of impact. The novel's narrator and main character, Holden Caulfield, has become an American icon. More of a living force than a fictional character, present-day readers find a rare affinity with him now as much as they did when the novel was first published. The intense emotional chord which Holden strikes in readers is testimony to the power of the author to draw the reader to a place of intimate self-examination.

A first-person narrative by Holden Caulfield, or rather, a dialogue between Holden and the reader, this novel is unique in literature by the apparent absence of the author. Salinger's authorship is not an exercise in control in Catcher, but an exercise in presentation. The result is an intimacy between the main character and the reader (as they participate in the story) which is rare in literature. Rare too, is the mechanism by which the narration, rather than explaining the plot, becomes the plot itself. The weaving together of these unusual literary tactics gift the reader with the rare position of actually being a major character of the book, making its reading an intensely personal experience.

Because The Catcher in the Rye has been adopted by so many American school cirriculums, most readers first experience the novel when they are young. Perhaps because the character of Holden Calufield is himself an adolescent in the book, its impact is especially profound at an early age. As a result, the reading of The Catcher in the Rye often lingers on as one of the more pleasant memories of youth and the bond which is formed between the reader and Holden's character often survives the years. Consequently, if one re-reads Catcher at a later stage of life they not only re-establish that bond with an old friend, but often re-establish a bond with their younger selves.

But the joy of Catcher goes beyond this. In re-reading The Catcher in the Rye , one often discovers a Holden Caulfield who has also altered with the years. This is a novel which constantly molds itself to the reader. It is a literary fishes and loaves. Just as familiarity with Holden's character does not diminish his complexity, or familiarity with ourselves does not diminish our own mystery, the gift of self-discovery that this novel offers is not diminished by time.

This overview comes from The Catcher in the Rye, Introduction to an American Classic on the website "Dead Caulfields - The Life and Works of J.D. Salinger."

Dead Caulfields.com Catcher in the Rye website. Overview copyrighted to Kenneth Slawenski of the website named.

Sums it up better than I could.

The author, J.D. Salinger / Source: Wikipedia.com

What I liked about it:

There were tidbits of wisdom thrown in from time to time. Below is an accumulation of quotes that struck a chord with me. I'm going to present them as the basis of what I liked about the book, and then we'll get to the other side of the coin.

People always think something's all true. - Chapter 2 (a truism if I ever heard it. Things can be part true and part not, but we tend to take stuff as being all or nothing).

People never notice anything. - Chapter 2 (a good corollary to the quote above).

When I really worry about something, I don't just fool around. I even have to go to the bathroom when I worry about something. Only, I don't go. I'm too worried to go. I don't want to interrupt my worrying to go. - Chapter 6 (ever felt that way? I haven't but, close enough).

All morons hate it when you call them a moron. - Chapter 6 (that one's going on the White Board, one of these days).

Sex is something I really don't understand too hot. You never know where the hell you are. I keep making up these sex rules for myself, and then I break them right away. Last year I made a rule that I was going to quit horsing around with girls that, deep down, gave me a pain in the ass. I broke it, though, the same week I made it - the same night, as a matter of fact. - Chapter 9 (Sex... don't get me started).

I was half in love with her by the time we sat down. That's the thing about girls. Every time they do something pretty, even if they're not much to look at, or even if they're sort of stupid, you fall half in love with them, and then you never know where the hell you are. Girls. Jesus Christ. They can drive you crazy. They really can. - Chapter 10 (ever saw a woman and felt that way? I have. You may think nothing of them as a person, but they have your guts wrapped up just by showing up. It's good to be a man, but women do have their powers...).

If a girl looks swell when she meets you, who gives a damn if she's late? Nobody. - Chapter 17 (my wife, though a punctual woman, would hail that statement).

It's funny. All you have to do is say something nobody understands and they'll do practically anything you want them to. - Chapter 21 (is that like: 'some people will believe some things some of the time?')

"Among other things, you'll find that you're not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior. You're by no means alone on that score, you'll be excited and stimulated to know. Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles. You'll learn from them - if you want to. Just as someday, if you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you. It's a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn't education. It's history. It's poetry."- Chapter 24, spoken by the character Mr. Antolini (Antolini seems a wise man. Was he a perv, or not? Somebody put me out of my misery here!).

Oh, one last observation. The part in the beginning when the slob kid gets mad at Caulfield for supposedly knocking on his religion. He blasphemes the Lord's name while telling Holden not to knock Catholics. That's not subtle irony at all, and I found it funny. There are a few humorous moments in there, despite my comparison of the book to a bad episode of Seinfeld.

That makes about as much sense as the book. / Source: Puns.ICanHasCheezBurger.com

What I didn’t like about it:

That could take awhile to describe in real detail, so let's sum it up. The book was tedious. The book was obnoxiously crude. Granted, there were only a few F-bombs, and even Caulfield gets uptight over those (he tries to scrub them off the wall). But still. It got to be almost silly by the end. I know it wasn't by accident, all the swearing. But it still got old after awhile.

What else? Did I mention the book was tedious? What about the rambling parts? Oh yes, I mentioned this above. The fact that Holden is supposed to be mentally disturbed. This upset me a bit. Not only does he keep saying how something "depressed him," - I kept wanting to smack him and say "get over it" - but the fact that he rambles on so seemed a bit familiar. See, I ramble on myself. Get off on tangents. Does that mean I'm mentally ill? I've wondered, from time to time. No kidding. I can only hope that all sane men have. A sort of Catch-22 thing, if you take my meaning. Hey, I ought to read that again (it's been years - close to twenty, I'd guess) and review it too. Why not?

Anyway, the point was murky. The book had some good points in it, but in the whole, I can see why a student forced to do an essay on it would try to get out of it, or procrastinate the thing until the last minute and turn in a sloppy work. P.S. don't you dare try using my review for your book report. The literary gods will hold your feet to the fire for it. Do your own work, kids. Don't take my bad example of using somebody else's overview. Don't do as I do, just as I say. Ya know?



Wil Smith in Six Degrees of Separation talking about Catcher in the Rye.  He sums up the book better than I ever could.
 
What I learned, if anything: 

I can't say as I learned much. Sorry. I've heard that Catcher in the Rye, like Slaughterhouse Five, is a book that ends up on the banned list. Maybe that is why I took the time to read it. That or the fact that it is supposed to be an "American classic." My wife agreed with me on this even before I finished. It's not great. I wouldn't make my students report on it, if I taught English. There are better things out there to essay on, in my opinion. 

Recommendation:

So what is this book really about? Even after all this exposition on the subject, I can't say exactly. Is it the story of a teenager with real mental health issues? Is it a parody of how a person who acts really petulant and self involved can be mistaken for a mentally disturbed person? Is Holden Caulfield the only really sane person in the story, and is that why he gets taken to the mental institution in the end? Or is it because he is just a severe underachiever? And what about that whole head stroking thing by Mr. Antolini? Was that anything at all? Is Mr. Antolini a pervert, or does he just recognize that Holden is a whack job and feels sad for him?

I don't know the answers to any of these questions. Better minds than mine are sure to have suppositions to give. But I'll pass on it. In the meantime, this book was certainly not a life-changing experience for me, nor relatable in most aspects. The ones that did were a little disturbing, as I've mentioned.

As for a recommendation? Is this a book that deserves it's occasionally "banned" status? Yes, the subject matter is mature, and the language is course. This is on purpose, as I gather (the language, that is). The idea of him hiring a prostitute may offend some. It didn't kill me though. It's not like it was gratuitous or anything. But some people are edgy when prostitution gets brought up, I guess.

I suppose it all comes down to the question of whether I think this is the sort of book that high school or early college students should have to do an essay on for a Lit class. Since that is something I am taken to understanding happens on a regular basis, I'd say it is a good litmus test as to whether I'd recommend this book. Kids or adults, mind you. My answer? No! It's not worth struggling through. It's too pointlessly rambling and overly boring. There have got to be better things for young minds to be reading. Like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, for one. Thanks to my Freshman English professor for introducing me to that over-looked Stephenson gem.

Catcher in the Rye? I wouldn't read it twice, if the opportunity ever arose. No sir. If you've never read it, take that for what its worth.


Keeping this review short? Mission: Failure.

Learn more about The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, on Amazon.com 


The parting comment:

Source: LolSnaps.com

Or the light bulbs.  Or the garbage had to be taken out.  Or the dog's poop had to be picked up.  Of course, we couldn't survive without women.  Nobody would cook.  Hahahahaha....  I just kill myself.  Better me than my wife.