Jenny's Bookshelf- Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger

When I turned the final page of this book, I didn't know what to think.

JD Salinger's Catcher in the Rye is widely considered to be a great American classic; it continues to be referenced in pop culture today. The book carries with it an infamy. It is said that Mark David Chapman, the man who assassinated John Lennon was sitting waiting for the police casually flicking through a copy of the book. He is reported to have cited the novel as his motivation for the murder. I had seen this connection made in popular culture, prior to having read it. I would have thought the novel itself would be a particularly violent one to have inspired such an act of violence.

Having looked up the name of the man who murdered John Lennon, I could see that the novel is cited by other would be assassins including John Hinkley Jr., the man who attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan. Now that I have finished the book I am perplexed as to why it has become a call to arms for murderous men.

Assassins aside, the novel was banned in the US in the 60s for vulgar language, adult themes, blasphemy and containing communist ideology. Whilst there is no way on earth this book would get banned for those reasons today on account of how tame it is through the eyes of someone reading it in 2025. There is blasphemy, adult themes and explicit language. The one thing I am struggling to find is anything within the story that would make it in any way communist propaganda.  Maybe I have missed the point. 

When I told friends I was reading Catcher in the Rye I was greeted with two opposing responses. The first is an acknowledgement that it is a must-read classic, coupled with mild shock that it was my first time reading it. The other was one of disappointment from those who have read it and not like the protagonist, stating he is too miserable and grumpy about everything. 

It is one of those books where not a lot happens, it couldn't be described as action packed, but it definitely leaves you with plenty to unpick. Whilst there aren't many plot points, and the structure is unpredictable; it is written in a way that makes you want to keep reading. You can feel as it starts to build towards a crescendo. The climax in question left me both confused and slightly bereft.

It is the story of a teenage boy who doesn't like anyone or anything that much. He keeps getting kicked out of school. With each tale he tells us about the boys he has met at school or the girls he goes on dates with, you are given a very confusing picture of a traumatized young boy who acts like he does not care about anyone or anything. 

I found it to be a very moving and poignant depiction of teenage depression. The main character's voice is so distinct and well executed striking a balance between, vulnerability and immaturity contrasted with a nihilistic view of the world. 

I enjoyed that Holden Caulfield presented himself as a hard shelled, brow beaten man of the world who didn't care for 'all that David Copperfield crap'. When in reality he was a scared and vulnerable teenager navigating a world, he probably shouldn't have been exposed to. 

When I think back on my teenage years of being convinced, I knew more about the world than I did, convinced my parents did not know better and convinced I had to navigate my way in the world entirely alone. I found Holden’s temperament to be incredibly relatable. Fortunately, I was not as lost as Holden and found my way eventually.  Holden Caulfield also seems to be the blueprint for any ‘bad-boy type’ ever written into literature or film since. My personal favourite from this particular genre is Jess Mariano from Gilmore Girls.

I can see why this would not be everyone's cup of tea, but I thought it was beautifully written and delivered a melancholy that I had expected from Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar. The difference with Catcher in the Rye being the darkness in the story is cloaked with the warm glow of hope.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Once I had finished the story I was left wanting to read more from the author, at the earliest opportunity I picked up Franny & Zooey and I am excited to give that a read and see if it meets my expectations.