communication breakdown

Book Review: The Catcher in the Rye (1945)

[ 9 / 10 ] J.D. Salinger's only novel remains his most widely read work, yet it is both well-respected and despised. The novel's only major character and protagonist, disillusioned teenager Holden Caulfield, has become a part of the pop culture lexicon and will undoubtedly be one of the most memorable characters of 20th century literature. But the novel is essentially a collection of extended ramblings in which nothing happens to anyone or anything. So why has this novel been so critically acclaimed, and why is it a lightning rod for such passionate debate? ...

To be honest, I had no idea what to expect when I picked up this book. Honestly, all I knew about the book was that it had been banned. In retrospect, I can see why - not that I support book banning, but I can only imagine how controversial it must have been during the naive time in history when it was written. There is a lot of strong language and difficult topics here which make it unsuitable for a young or immature reader - but the novel is also full of gems that make it an essential read for an appropriate audience.

As I said earlier, the novel centers around Holden Caulfield, a rebellious and cynical adolescent who has an opinion on everything. When we meet Holden, he has just been expelled from Pencey Prep School for poor academic performance, and we learn that it isn't the first time he has flunked out of school. He is a fascinating case study for maturity - in one sense, he is irresponsible, not willing to take blame for anything bad that happens to him, and hesitant to correct his self-destructive habits. Yet for his age he possesses a certain clarity of thought, a penetrating sense of perception, and experience beyond his years.

He has many vices (alcohol and cigarettes, among others), and discusses at length those things which bother him, the foremost of which appears to be phoniness and hypocrisy. He loathes them to the point of hatred for those who display them, and the few people about which he speaks positively are those who are truly genuine. He also has an extremely sharp wit, a genuine talent for sarcasm, and a very dry sense of humor - all of which will likely make for a highly entertaining read for those with a similar style (this reviewer included).

I was serious when I said that nothing happens in this book - in terms of major plot points or actual significant events, there really are none. The entire story is being told to us in retrospect by Holden, and he chooses to only describe the couple of days after his expulsion from Pencey. The first part of the novel contains the majority of the book's conversation, when Holden interacts with his roommate and neighbors. However, once he leaves school he embarks on a lonely journey marked by bad decisions, loneliness and depression. For the most part he travels from night club to night club and walks around the city aimlessly.

All the while, he discusses anything and everything going through his mind. While I wouldn't describe Salinger's writing style here as "stream of consciousness", because it is somewhat coherent, I would say that he is successful in his attempt to capture the inner thoughts of a troubled teenager. He rarely stays on one topic for any length of time, and when he does it's usually in a self-indulgent, rambling manner. I think Caulfield best describes the reason for this in his own words: "The trouble with me is, I like it when somebody digresses. It's more interesting and all."

In one sense, nothing ever happens. Yet if you look at it from a different perspective, you could say that everything happens. That is, by eavesdropping on Holden's ponderings, we are able to form a complete picture of the young man - by focusing the whole story on one man, we learn about him in great depth, and as a result come to sympathize with him. His family, relationships, passions, fears, pleasures - all of these are described in great detail. Amidst several days in which nothing significant happens, a young man's psyche is laid bare for us to explore.

Many will be turned off by the unorthodox nature of this novel. Those with a short attention span, or the need for a formulaic storyline, will likely not be drawn into Holden's story and his subtle development throughout the pages of the novel. From my perspective, the best thing about the book was how it was written. For most of the book I couldn't help but think: "If I was writing a book, this is exactly how I would write it." I might not have agreed with everything Holden said and felt, but the way he said it was something I could identify with. I found myself laughing more at this novel than any other which I have read. I didn't need anything to happen in the story - it was an enjoyable read in and of itself.

Yet, in the end, I couldn't help but expect something to happen. Though I should have known what to expect at the end after reading the preceding 200 pages, I still anticipated some sort of major change to occur to our protagonist to bring some sort of relevance to the story. While some may argue that Holden did experience a turning point at the end, I did not feel that his life philosophy had altered in any way between the beginning and ending of the book. I had hoped that the emotional investment which Salinger so carefully helps us develop throughout the course of the novel would lead to a conclusion which brought us to some higher understanding, or essential realization about Holden, or about ourselves, or about life in general. Alas, I was wrong.

But I can still appreciate this book for its strengths. The majority of "The Catcher in the Rye" is really a lot of fun, and Holden himself is probably one of the most well-developed and complicated characters you're ever going to find in literature. His intelligence parallels his idiocy, his bravado conflicts with his cowardice, his deep loathing of just about everything is tempered by his great love for his siblings. I think the true sign of why this book is so timeless and respected is this: each reader who ventures into Holden Caulfield's psyche is going to take away something which will touch them in a personal way.

What more can you ask for in a novel?