“Catcher in the Rye”, J.D. Salinger – review by Tizer Bailey

Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger review by Tizer Bailey
When we liked America, Holden Caufield was every teenage girls idea of who to love.

Americanisms – all those words which are actually quite foreign and not used in our English spoken language nevertheless they are evocative and understandably American.

A few examples used frequently throughout the book.
Phony, I’m lonesome, lousy, helluva swell guy, in the can, drugstore, she got sore, boy, grand, dough, I figured, kidding, goddamn, hollering.

From the first pages of Catcher in the Rye, I adored this guy – Holden Caulfield. His amusing use of exaggeration it’s incredibly funny. His observations on people are very sweet. He really does notice so many details. Always with an opinion on them too, but without arrogance or an elevated sense of himself. It’s very attractive. All the way through the book, I worried for him, he gets down about so many things, and small events even words or gestures tip him over the edge. Of course the tragic loss of his brother Allie is a constant underlying trouble. Holden gets “depressed”. Salinger’s use of character analysis is subtle and persuasive. I believed all the people in this novel exist. Towards the end of the story, I was traumatised in case he did harm himself. I felt he was in grave danger.

His ex-teacher and the interlude at Mr and Mrs Antolini’s house lead the reader to believe so and adds to the drama and high suspense.

A quote which touched me profoundly…” A mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for his cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.” Wilhelm Stekel.

On page 205 Mr Antolini discusses Holden’s education with him and I thought the description of an academic mind was amazing and must be so relevant at the age of 15 when British students are studying this book as part of their GCSE curriculum. It’s an incredible book, and helluva funny.