Book Review: Catcher in the Rye

I admit that before I actually read J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, I knew nothing about it, except that the book had something to do with the death of John Lennon*. Oh, and that it had been banned for a while, as well. But that's pretty much it; it was one of those rare pleasures for me: going into a book with a completely clean slate, not having any opinion of it, nor knowing in advance how it was going to end, nor any other details about the book. OK, so maybe I was worried about the whole Lennon thing.

Imagine my surprise when I found the book to be about Holden Caufield (I knew that), a teenager (didn't know that) who just got kicked out of another private school and now must face the music back at his parents' apartment in New York City, right before the Christmas holiday. As it turns out, the book is a wonderful study of the protagonist's mental state and progressive deterioration over the course of a few days, not into degeneracy as such a book today might be written, but rather into a nervous breakdown.

One can also imagine my surprise when I found myself relating a little bit to Caufield, his life experiences and his view of the world and the people who inhabit it. Essentially, he wants to help the world hang on to its innocence, thus protecting it from the negative influences that are becoming more and more pervasive. He also has a hard time dealing with other people, many of whom he perceives as "phonies" who put on a face for other people. Paradoxically, it should be noted that Caufield is an accomplished liar, although he justifies it as just messing around with other people, or having some fun.

Holden's desperation through the novel mounts, as does the tension near the end, as the inevitable finally happens. It's in the last few pages that I found the book to be the most compelling and gripping, actually deviating from the prearranged schedule of "reading this on the bus only" to sneaking reads at it around the house (again, with apologies to my poor wife). A very good read, with an interesting look at the character of people through the eyes of a young man. It can be imagined that many people today who feel disaffected for one reason or another, myself included, can relate very well to young Mr. Caufield, although hopefully it doesn't lead to a nervous breakdown, but rather to an opportunity to discuss feelings with peers and other like-minded people, and form a support network.

I'm about to start going completely off-topic here, so I'm going to stop. Highest recommendation for this book, as anyone who has ever felt disaffected with society or other people can get something out of it. With the way attitudes have changed-yet-stayed-the-same since the book was written, Catcher in the Rye remains a relevant, important work of literature in our day.

* Mark David Chapman was holding a copy of Catcher when he shot Lennon.