The Catcher in the Rye

Amazon.com

"If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. In the first place, that stuff bores me, and in the second place, my parents would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told anything pretty personal about them."

His constant wry observations about what he encounters, from teachers to phonies (the two of course are not mutually exclusive) capture the essence of the eternal teenage experience of alienation.

Book Description

Since his debut in 1951 as The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield has been synonymous with "cynical adolescent." Holden narrates the story of a couple of days in his sixteen-year-old life, just after he's been expelled from prep school, in a slang that sounds edgy even today and keeps this novel on banned book lists. It begins, "If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. In the first place, that stuff bores me, and in the second place, my parents would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told anything pretty personal about them." His constant wry observations about what he encounters, from teachers to phonies (the two of course are not mutually exclusive) capture the essence of the eternal teenage experience of alienation.

Customer Reviews:

A Coward's Narrative..........2007-10-08

For years, friends and family noted the classic, The Catcher in the Rye, as a "must read." I was pleasantly surprised with Salinger's ahead-of-the-times writing of Holden Caufield and his experiences/thoughts with sex, drinking, and his general disenchantment with the world, as he is expelled from prep school. Holden narrates as he bounces around for a few days before heading home to tell his parents.

On some level, readers will relate their own lives to that of Holden's. How could you not? He's depressed, rebellious, and negative. He's a coward, a braggart, a phony, and a wannabe. We've all been like him at times. But that is his whole character and you rarely see another side... only his love for his sibling showed a side of Holden that could be defined as positive.

There is no real payoff or conclusion in the end. You'll find the value of this writing after finishing it, putting it back on the shelf, and thinking about it for a few days. Keep digging, it's there.

Have fun,

David Tobias
Redondo Beach, CA

Must Read.......2007-10-01

Unfortunately this book was not on my reading list for High School. It is a shame because I would have enjoyed it then, just as I enjoyed it now. Anybody can relate to some aspect of this novel. Whether it be growing up, the akward situations that we find ourselves in struggling through adolecence and our teenage years. Bottom line, is great book and everyone should read it at least once in their lifetime.

Bradbury is alive and well.......2007-09-28

This novel is more alive today than ever. Books are not being burned, but no one reads. The effect is the same. The few lucky ones have their favorite books in their heads.

A different perspective.......2007-09-24

Mid-aged now, I had a few spotty memories of this book from my high school years and in my mind's eye it seemed forgettable, but later in life I bought the book and read it again, partly because I wanted to see if I could figure out why John Lennon's murderer was carrying the book when he was arrested. Was there a clue in the story that inspired the twisted killer to attack Lennon? Anyhow, if so, then Chapman was not caught and saved by the Catcher, but instead went entirely off the cliff. And if Chapman envisioned himself as the Catcher, he was wrong. The Catcher in the Rye is a saver not a destroyer.
Although I rate this book five stars it is by far not my favorite, but I would still recommend it to anyone just because it is so popular. I did find it interesting and in my youth I spent a lot of time in New York City and had been to some of the places referenced in the story. When I was a kid growing up on a dairy farm, my cousins and friends and I used to play hide and seek in the cornfields, (Catcher in the Corn) way before we ever heard of Catcher in the Rye. So While reading this book I felt those kind of connections, as in, I felt like I was there in the story at times. But back when I first saw the title Catcher in the Rye, I imagined, (before reading), that it must have been about something in life to watch out for, something that may catch you if you let your guard down, something that might be out to get you. Maybe that's the connection Chapman made. Maybe Chapman didn't actually read the book before he killed. I just hope they keep the guy locked up.
And I, for one, hope they finally get finicky J.D.'s novel made into a movie. By the way, I think it is very healthy to turn off the TV and read books in quiet solitude. I find the best time is before I fall off to sleep, reading can also help to cultivate dreams.
note: I still sorely miss John Lennon.

The book is entertaining. Perhaps a better read when read as a teenager........2007-09-18

The Catcher in the Rye is written in the first person and tells the story of a teenager, HOLDEN CAULFIELD, who is struggling with the normal teenage crisis of misdirection and apathy. I don't remember reading this book in High School. Perhaps it was assigned and I ignored it.

I believe the story would have resonated more with me when I was about Holden's age (16) than it does now. The book is an easy read and the story and characters are very real. Why is it a classic? I don't really know, perhaps it was ahead of its time; perhaps the prose was unconventional. I enjoyed the story but didn't feel much connection with the characters even though Holden reminded me of kids I knew in High School, perhaps even a little bit of me. Enjoy!

Average customer rating:

Why have you not read this book?
Don't wait as long as I did to read this book!
An Attempt To Prevent a Beloved Sibling From Falling Off The Edge Where He Was Standing

The Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: B000BR53YU

Product Description

J. D. Salinger's famous classic about a boy coming of age. At the time of publication it caused quite an uproar because of it's language and was banned from many libraries, although it is fairly mild by modern stndards.

Customer Reviews:

Why have you not read this book?.......2007-05-26

I am always encouraging people to read this book. It's one of the first novels that truly shocked me in the end. I first came to know this book in highschool, and it still sits on my shelf. I re-read it often, and it's never lost on me.
There is a reason that it's a literary masterpiece, and one of the best books ever penned!

Don't wait as long as I did to read this book!.......2006-12-02

Salinger's modern-day classic about the coming of age of an adolescent boy is nothing short of a jewel! Salinger, writing in the first person, beautifully combines and balances the egocentrism of the teenager with humor and then fuses these elements together with threads of sadness and unbelievable tenderness. The character of Holden Caulfield is most certainly a complex dichotomy of immaturity and maturity. Truly a remarkable work through the very end.

An Attempt To Prevent a Beloved Sibling From Falling Off The Edge Where He Was Standing.......2006-10-16

I DO want to know Holden Caulfield's back story. And his dismissive declaration of "I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth" in his opening sentence is a dishonest declaration, whether he knows it or not. "That stuff" does not bore many caring, empathetic, or intelligent people. The first sentence is an obvious misrepresentation by the author, sarcastically suggesting he will avoid discussing uncomfortable or unpleasant realities and ideas. But then the author immediately proceeds to discuss madmen, insanity, male "prostitution", and common hypocrisies and apparent contradictions. The older I get, the less sarcasm I enjoy. Sarcasm is too often misunderstood. Too often it is an intelligent person displaying their intelligence with the added negative intent of putting someone else down. Too often it creates unintended animosity, ambiguity, and confusion. Yet the author's frank, sarcastic, contradictory, revealing, witty, and insightful candor is a primary reason we care to understand his points of view.

"It was the last game of the year, and you were supposed to commit suicide or something if old Pencey didn't win."

Holden is a flawed character appealing to flawed readers - and THAT is what makes his voice inviting and relevant. The author intentionally and occasionally reveals himself to be both dishonest and unable to take responsibility for his own mistakes. Holden uses humor as a weapon and a shield, to take down his enemies (personally and philosophically) and to defend his pride. Many readers can relate to his conflicting thoughts, internal conflicts, and external frustrations. And where we cannot relate from similar personal experience, we believe he is relaying his perspective, however flawed, with a high degree of believability. And for many readers, they find out they are not alone, sharing the same uncommonly discussed wonderings Holden discusses. Reading this book can be a sanity-strengthening exercise.

While Holden's perspectives are understandable, they are also implicitly suspicious of, if not negative toward, sexuality. This gives the novel puritanical auras of guilt around heterosexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality. Holden is sadly revealing of popular mindsets and perspectives of youths growing up in an American society that too prominently and often characterizes and interprets sexuality and physicality in unnecessarily negative and incorrect ways.

Holden is an "anti" hero, which both he and his readers may take pride in. He finds some solace in being "against" and "critical" of so many things around him, thinking that his negative perceptions and conclusions somehow strengthen him. A problem is that sometimes he is right and sometimes he is wrong, and each reader will have to decide for themself where those divisions lie. For example, he criticizes an old man by saying, "I mean he was all stooped over, and he had very terrible posture, and in class, whenever he dropped a piece of chalk at the blackboard, some guy . . . had to get up and pick it up and hand it to him. That's awful, in my opinion." Holden reveals the common perceptions and misperceptions of 1950s male youths, interpreting the world with all the cultural biases and reasoning flaws of that society. "He showed us this old beat-up Navajo blanket that he and Mrs. Spencer'd bought off some Indian . . . That's what I mean. You take somebody old as hell, like old Spencer, and they can get a big bang out of buying a blanket."

The book has often been criticized for having no plot, going nowhere, and doing nothing. But that criticism misses some of the intents of the artistry. It is a book that examines internal dialogue, thought processes, and popular ways of interpreting people, actions, and ideas. The book suggests matters of "plot" are more dependent on perceptions and reasoning skills than most people understand. Some people don't carefully examine the precepts and assumptions they base their choices on. Holden questions common assumptions and reveals his internal dialogue, which alternates from independently insightful to misguided. A reason this book is given to students as they conclude adolescence is that it focuses on internal cognitive critical evaluations more than most stories that offer simpler focus on "external" choices of character. This book shows the two are not separate, but completely interdependent.

The book can be read as a means of deterring insanity, catching people before they run off too far in one neurotic pursuit, by showing them different ways of interpreting the people around them, and by showing them the consequences of Holden's perspectives. Holden mis-remembers the words of a poem. He thinks it says, "When a body CATCH a body, comin' thro' the rye," when it actually reads, "When a body MEET a body, comin' thro' the rye." (Personal sidenote: My brain made a similar memory mistake - thinking Edie Brickell's lyric was "SHOVE me in the shallow water", when the lyric was actually "CHOKE me in the shallow water" - talk amongst yourselves as to why my brain did that). He says to his younger sister, who he appears to genuinely want to love and protect, that he would like to catch children who are running around in a field of rye from falling off the edge of a "crazy cliff" WHERE HOLDEN IS ALREADY STANDING (he's writing the book while residing at a mental health recovery facility). The people the book might be able to "save" are "children", innocent or in the process of becoming encumbered by the moral definitions, narrow frameworks, and cultural boundaries that sometimes derail the smartest, most beautiful, and sensitive among us. This book may not be an effective tool if read by itself. The book is more likely to be helpful and interpreted well by readers who have read many other books.

Salinger is a genius, showing us where his brain has focused and why. I'll finish these comments for now, because there is always more to say on any work of this magnitude, with the author and protagonist's sarcastic and revealing note of perfection. "It's funny. Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody."

Average customer rating:

I'm in Love with Holden Caulfield (and J.D. Salinger)
great book for a jaded person

THE CATCHER IN THE RYE
J. D. Salinger
Manufacturer: Little Brown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0241900972

Customer Reviews:

I'm in Love with Holden Caulfield (and J.D. Salinger).......2007-08-07

To give "The Catcher in the Rye" 5 stars is like giving "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare" 5 stars. I'm not kidding.

I read "The Catcher in the Rye" in the 8th grade. And, okay, I was a little bit more than entranced by the (shocking!) use of profanity. This was, after all, 1968.

But even more, I was mesmerized and enthralled, I was even swept off my little flat feet, by Holden's sensitivity, his absolute purity of heart. Okay, he does wrong things, he engages a prostitute, he flunks out of a very expensive private school when he knows his poor parents have already been put through absolute hell (his younger brother Allie dies of leukemia at the age of 13 and this has already happened at the time the book is being narrated). But at the same time, he is an innocent. He is caught up in place and time that he can't make sense of, simply because he is who he is. He cares, and he tries to take care of others who are lost and floundering. It is so obvious that he is a diamond among rhinestones.

So he doesn't fit in anywhere, and neither do most of us. We're just trying to find our way. This is one of the most brilliant studies of adolesence ever written. Holden feels, he lives and breathes, he is, for all his flaws, or maybe even because of them, almost a Christlike figure.

J.D. Salinger wrote a book about an adolescent who was, in his way, much like an archetype of innocence. For this he is should be lauded as a literary genius. This book should be taught everywhere as a sort of guidebook to values clarification for the youth of America.

Totally aside from that, it is very funny and compulsively readable. No one can possibly be bored with this book, despite its seeming lack of plot.

"The Catcher in the Rye" is a life-changing book. Read it. You will never be the same.

great book for a jaded person.......2007-05-21

its a great book for a person who feel they are a outcast of society and no ones understands how it feels to be so alone well this book is for you its bout a jaded young man named Holden Caulfield who's liberal w/ profanity so if ur easily afiend by profanity and portrayal of sexuality and teenage angst then this book is not for you by if you want ur mind split wide open then this is the book for you

The Catcher in the Rye : A Unit Plan (Litplans on CD)

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Great tool for High School teachers
Worthwhile CD for Teachers

The Catcher in the Rye : A Unit Plan (Litplans on CD)
Mary B. Collins
Manufacturer: Teachers Pet Pubns Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM

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ASIN: 158337048X

Book Description

Complete lesson plans for teaching J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. Includes introduction to the unit, unit objectives, reading assignments, unit outline, study questions (short answer), study/quiz questions (multiple choice), vocabulary worksheets, daily lessons planned, related nonfiction reading assignment, oral reading evaluation, biographical info about the author, three detailed writing assignments (inform, persuade, personal opinion), vocabulary review games & activities, unit review games & activities, at least one group activity assignment, discussion questions on all levels (factual, critical, interpretive, personal response), 2 short answer unit tests, 2 multiple choice unit tests, 1 advanced short answer unit test, unit and vocabulary crossword puzzles, unit and vocabulary extra worksheets & games, bulletin board ideas, ready-to-copy student materials, answer keys, and more!

Customer Reviews:

Great tool for High School teachers.......2002-03-17

Being my first year as a high school teacher, I knew I would need some tools to help my first year go by without a hitch. This lesson plan (CD) did just the trick. I later bought one for The Crucible also. These each have 137 pages of activities, vocabulary, study guides, writing assignments and rubrics, tests, puzzles, and word searches. All I can say is wonderful. The other English teachers love them and out department head is looking into buying a series of the titles!

BUY THEM!

Worthwhile CD for Teachers.......2001-10-26

I bought this CD to help me with one of my classes and found it very helpful in teaching the novel. I usually create my own material but this time the expenditure was worth it. The disk contains vocabulary exercises, quizs, tests, and many things that reinforce what teachers try to do. This CD is practical, solid and takes a traditional teaching approach. It's easy to use and very well organized, leaving it up to the teacher to provide the inspiration and creativity to ignite young minds.

Average customer rating:

Holden Caulfield's Voice Speaks Powerfully of the Human Condition
Who's phony now?
just one flaw

The Catcher in the Rye
J. D. Salinger
Manufacturer: Perfection Learning Prebound
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0812415280

Customer Reviews:

Holden Caulfield's Voice Speaks Powerfully of the Human Condition.......2005-09-19

Holden Caulfield said things I could never say, those things I would never say if I had the chance.

How many teenagers felt that way reading "The Catcher in the Rye"? That's why teens are reading this book. That is why more often than not, they enjoy it more than writers like William Faulkner.

J. D. Salinger was not a shock artist. He did not use offensive themes and language to stir up publicity and talk about freedom of speech. He employed his freedom of speech as a tool to communicate, not to infuriate. As a result, he wrote a magnificent book looking into the psyche of youth. What makes Salinger a classic writer, and wealthy publicity hounds like Eminem and Howard Stern noisy wannabes is that within his language, there is truth.

While Holden searches for himself, and the meaning of life, he was a younger version of those in the Beat movement, or James Dean. Readers go from "Catcher" to Jack Kerouac's "On the Road," with the same easygoing, streaming thoughts kind of way.

"The Catcher in the Rye" grabs at the introspective self. Like so many of the Oprah books are for women, "Catcher" is the for teen male. (Did I offend the teens guys, or the Oprah fans?)

I fully recommend "The Catcher in the Rye." It is close to being a literary masterpiece, and will intrigue even the passive reader.

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

Who's phony now?.......2005-04-04

A new generation of angry young men were inspired by J.D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye," a dark-edged little novel about teen disaffection. Wry, cynical and strangely touching at times, this book is a look into the confusion and turmoil of a young mind -- those who want their teens clean-cut and meek need not apply.

Holden Caulfield has just been expelled from a prep school for failing almost every subject he was studying. And he couldn't care less -- after all, it's full of phonies. Over the weekend, Holden wanders the streets of New York, thinking about the school, the teachers, the phonies, and his nebulous family -- especially his brother Allie, who committed suicide.

Fearing the repercussions of going home and telling his parents what has happened, Holden just keeps touring New York in his peculiar cap. He meets a girl he once liked, a teacher who is sympathetic to his plight, but Holden always ends up pushing others away. And when he does go home, his temptation to run away is changed irrevocably.

Remember the disaffected anti-hero of "Igby Goes Down," who flunks school over and over, and runs away to hang out in New York? Cynical oddball Igby has Holden to thank for his existance. "Catcher in the Rye" catches teen dissatisfaction and dreams of freedom, making it seem almost painfully realistic.

Most classics don't include the anti-hero sputtering four-letter words on the first page. But Salinger's style for "Catcher" is an unusual one. Through Holden's eyes, it's a bitter and very straightforward style, peppered with wry observations. The biggest flaw would be the handling of Holden's own "phoniness," since it's obvious he can be as phony as the people around him. It's subtle, but too subtle -- to less discerning readers, it seems like Holden is just a bitter hypocrite.

Holden Caulfield is a surprisingly nuanced character -- at first glance he just seems like an unusually obnoxious young boy who hates everything. But as the book unfolds, we see that he cares for genuine things, especially the innocence he no longer has. And he lacks the ability to connect with other people. None of the other characters really come to life... but they don't really need to. This is Holden's story.

Salinger's cynical tour de force "Catcher in the Rye" is a bitter pill to swallow, but it's definitely worth it. Disaffected, yearning and wry, this is a modern classic. And deserves to be, as well.

just one flaw.......2005-04-03

The narrator of this story is presented as an avid reader, yet he speaks with a weak vocabulary and weak sentence structure.
By my count, he uses the catch-all phrase "and all" 174 times.
He accuses most adults of putting on a false front, so, by my count, he uses the word "phony" 47 times. A student with above average literacy skills would likely look the word up in a thesaurus.

His little sister Phoebe, who is presented as an honor student, is likewise verbally deficient. During the conversation in the bedroom, she uses the phrase "and everything" 5 times.

This is especially unrealistic considering that Holden and Phoebe's parents are viligant about their children's verbal expression. During the bedroom conversation, we see that the word "lousy" is verboten in the Caulfield household.

Salinger probably held a stereotype that all adolescents and children speak with a weak vocabulary and weak sentence structure.

New Essays on The Catcher in the Rye (The American Novel)

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second best book on the subject
Does "The Catcher in the Rye" catch your eye?
Does "The Catcher in the Rye" catch your eye?
never judge a book by its cover!
The Catcher!

New Essays on The Catcher in the Rye (The American Novel)

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521377986

Book Description

First published in 1951, The Catcher in the Rye continues to be one of the most popular novels ever written as well as one of the most frequently banned books in the United States. In his introduction to this volume, Jack Salzman discusses the history of the novel's composition and publication, the mixed reception it has received from critics and scholars, the arguments surrounding the attempts at censorship, and its position in a postmodernist literary world. The essays that follow focus on various aspects of the novel: its ideology within he context of the cold war, its portrait of a particular subculture within American society, its account of patterns of adolescent crisis, and its rich and complex narrative structure.

Customer Reviews:

second best book on the subject .......2005-04-30

You may get something completely different out of this book, but these are the most important points which I got out of the five articles:

--Holden's brother escaped growing up by dying at the age of 10. According to Seelye, that is why memories of Allie give Holden such troubled feelings.

--Cowan notes that Holden begins the narrative with the words, "I'm not going to tell you my whole goddam autobiography or anything," and promptly proceeds to do exactly that.

--The child who was singing "Coming through the rye" was walking in a straight line, and was thus protected from the danger of passing automobiles. Cowan sees this as symbolic.

--Cowan comments on the "adult diction" which Holden uses in the presence of adults.

--Holden once attended a public speaking class in which the class members shouted "Digression!" at appropriate times. According to Cowan, Holden trusts his present listeners not to do that.

--Holden confesses, "I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life," yet all of his lies take place in the narrative past. Cowan sees this as a change on Holdon's part.

--Cowan lists the fencing foils, the record for Phoebe, and his younger brother as items which Holden is unable to keep from losing. Holden's name might be a pun on "hold on."

--Brookeman is keen on source material. The movie quote, "He doesn't want me to be a tap dancer. He wants me to go to Oxford" is from "Ziegfeld Follies" starring Fred Astaire and Lucille Ball. The name for Bernice Krebs, a character introduced on page 73, comes from a Hemingway short story about a soldier who returns from World War I and tries to adapt to civilian life.

--Regarding the duck dilemma, Rowe sees a dichotomy between freezing and freedom. Compare this with Cowan's suggestion of death in general and Allie's death in particular.

--The mummies in the museum are peaceful. According to Shaw, that is why mummies are the only item which Holden can remember on the exam question about Egypt.

--Shaw suggests that Holden is avoiding success because he feels guilty for surviving Allie. He calls attention to a passage in which Holden ascribes guilt to Romeo for surviving Mercutio.

--"Meet[ing] a body" could imply romantic relationships with girls. According to Shaw, this could be the reason that Holden remembers the lyrics incorrectly.

--Finally, Shaw asks who is crazy, Holden or everyone else.

I have seen one book which is more helpful in interpreting "The Catcher in the Rye," and that is the Simonson & Hager essay collection, 0669215686.

Does "The Catcher in the Rye" catch your eye?.......2002-05-31

When I finished the book "The Catcher in the Rye," my initial thought was, "Did I like this book or not?" It was hard for me to figure out. Even though I felt like there wasn't a complexed or structural plot, I still couldn't put it down. Maybe it was the easy-to-relate-to memories of Holden Caulfield, or maybe it was the depth in character that was described. "The Catcher In the Rye" is based on innocence in childhood and a boy who is afraid of the corrupt world of adulthood. Throughout the novel, I got an understanding of what Holden Caulfield was like. The characterization is accurate and it could definately be a real person; Holden's thoughts were consistant with his personality. Holden uses defense mechanisms to get away from the real world in which he fears so much by having an extremely negative attitude and putting other people down by saying they are "phony". All Holden wants is security without change. This is demonstrated with the museum he like has liked ever since he was a little boy. He likes it because it is something that never changes over time and stays innocent. Also, throughout this novel, if you pay attention, you can see that everything is linked to everything else. Holden's red hunting hat relates to his brother's and sister's hair for example. This book is filled with symbolism, complexity, and a sense of human nature. My conclusion was that I definately do like this book. It was intriguing to read into someone else's life and see things from a different perspective. If you are someone who enjoys suspense and structural plots, this is not a book I would recommmend for your reading. If you are someone who likes to relate to characters and see out their eyes, this is the book for you.

Does "The Catcher in the Rye" catch your eye?.......2002-05-31

never judge a book by its cover!.......2000-05-09

All i can say is WOW! In the beginning i was like, "the catcher in the rye"? Sounds like a book about farming. Boy, was i wrong. Salinger caught my attention from the first page and kept it until the very last. Holden brings to the surface everything we(especially teenagers)think but never dare to say. I liked this book cause it's down to earth, not at all "phony" (as Holden would say), and teaches you a great deal about life. Now, the fact that it was found in the pocket of the guy who murdered John Lennon is another story....

The Catcher!.......2000-01-13

It was a interesting novel but i didn't enjoy it well do i enjoy reading books anyway NOOOOO! I get all my english novels off the internet i don't bother reading books! I have better stuff then to read stupid books!

Average customer rating:

Just read the real book!
The Catcher in the Rye (Cliffs Notes)
the reviewer can't read between the lines
To Catch or not to Catch
4 stars

The Catcher in the Rye (Cliffs Notes)
Stanley P. Baldwin
Manufacturer: Cliffs Notes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0764585916

Book Description

The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also features glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format.

CliffsNotes on The Catcher in the Rye introduces you to a coming-of-age novel with a twist. J.D. Salinger’s best-known work is more realistic, more lifelike and authentic than some other representatives of the genre. Get to know the unforgettable main character, Holden Caulfield, as he navigates the dangers and risks of growing up.

This study guide enables you to keep up with all of the major themes and symbols of the novel, as well as the characters and plot. You’ll also find valuable information about Salinger’s life and background. Other features that help you study include

Character analyses of major players
A character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the characters
Critical essays
A review section that tests your knowledge
A Resource Center full of books, articles, films, and Internet sites

Classic literature or modern modern-day treasure — you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.

Customer Reviews:

Just read the real book!.......2007-07-03

First of all, if you're too shiftless to read "The Catcher in the Rye," you should probably quit now. Second of all, The book is awesome! You'd be missing out. I'm sure this is a good summary, but C'mon!

The Catcher in the Rye (Cliffs Notes).......2007-04-11

The CliffsNotes are very helpful in its explanation(s) of the chapters and characters. I especially found the literary summaries helpful.

the reviewer can't read between the lines.......2005-04-03

Here are some subtle questions in "Catcher in the Rye" which are not mentioned in Cliffs Notes:

--Holden flunks oral expression class because he couldn't refrain from digressing. Could that have to with his tendency to digress in this novel?
Þ
--Holden repeatedly wonders where the ducks go when the pond freezes over. Could this be because he wonders where students go when they flunk out of school?

--Two boys ask Holden for directions to the mummy exhibit. Could this have to do with the death motif?

--According to one reviewer, Holden watches Phoebe going around on the merry-go-round because he wants to keep her frozen in childhood.

--On page 141, Holden expresses willingness not to kill but to be killed. On page 188, a teacher delivers a quote which favors living for a great cause over dying for a great cause. How do these two connect?

--Holden repeatedly lies about his age and repeatedly orders alcohol. What is he trying to accomplish?

--Holden criticizes almost everyone but his sister. What would a Transactional Analyst say about his "I'm OK, you're not OK" stance?

--Upon virtually every mishap, Holden makes a generalization. How would this be interepreted in light of "Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy" by David D. Burns?

Under each chapter heading, there is a Summary heading and a Commentary heading. Most of what Kaplan calls Commentary is really more summary.

I had a professor who gave C+'s to students who can only deliver plot summaries. My professor might give Kaplan a C+.

To Catch or not to Catch.......2005-03-03

As a freshman in highschool and an avid reader, it took me no time to aquire a copy of J.D. Salingers "a Catcher in the Rye". It blew my mind. There is no book of which I have turned pages to find a solution that has captured me and found me laughing or various other strong emotions along side that of Holden Caulfield. Then I discovered there were cliffnotes. Cliffnotes for such a timeless classic and not so hard of a read are superflous and only for those who are the laziest and most sad of all ignorant saps. Turn from this road in which you are about to embark and spend your money on a nice-warm copy of Catcher... and then pat yourself on the back.

4 stars.......2004-10-19

The book, The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger, tells of a series of events over four days of the protagonist's life. Holden Caulfield has numerous flashbacks as he narrates his story to a psychiatrist. The reader sees the main conflict between Holden and his inner self, as he is unable to handle the pressure of being a teenager and the rejection of society. The story is told in first person as Holden talks directly to the reader. This is an important literary device as the character begins to lose his mind as the story goes on. This way the reader knows what Holden is thinking and can see that his thoughts are troubled.
The story takes place in numerous settings beginning with a boarding school in Pennsylvania and ends with Holden wandering New York City. The story starts out in a comical mood as Holden makes various impressions of people he knows and he likes to get laughs from people. Yet, he is a rebel who does not want to conform to what everyone else does, and therefore is left out and isolated from the rest of society. One of the main causes of his depression is the death of his younger brother, Allie.
I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for great read. The book relates to kids in high school and is a funny, yet emotional book with a likable main character. The only weakness in the story is in-between the climaxes when there is a decline of action as Holden roams the city. The book includes profane language, sex, and violence and therefore is not appropriate for children under the junior high level.

Average customer rating:

Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger
Manufacturer: Modern Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Average customer rating:

The Catcher in the Rye Activty Pack
J.D. Salinger
Manufacturer: Prestwick House Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

The Catcher in the Rye : A Unit Plan (LitPlans)
The Catcher in the Rye
Lord of the Flies Activity Pack
Max Notes J. D. Salinger's the Catcher in the Rye (Max Notes Series)
A Guide for Using The Odyssey in the Classroom

ASIN: 1580496148

Book Description

Fullfill state-mandated objectives and national guidelines with Prestwick House Reproducible Activity Packs.

Activities easily relate outside historical references, vital literary vocabulary, and detailed plot and themes analysis.

Activities include:
• Role playing
• Creating dramatization
• Five modes of writing
• Completing maps and charts
• Creating collages
• Drawing editorial cartoons
• Staging sets ans scenes
• Responding to photographs and pictures
• Conducting surveys
• Creating scenarios
• And more

The Catcher in the Rye (Modern Classics)
Average customer rating:
The Catcher in the Rye (Modern Classics)
J.D. Salinger
Manufacturer: Penguin Books Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Salinger, J.D. | Classics | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Salinger, J.D. | ( S ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0140012486
Release Date: 1969-11-01

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