General information on the author:

The author of the book is J.D Salinger.

J.D. Salinger was born in 1919 and he died in 2010. He followed a military course from 1934 to 1936. In 1937 his father sent him to study in Vienna so that he could hopefully take over the family business. In 1944 he went to war, and he ended up with PTSD and for this, he went to psychotherapy. In 1940 J.D. Salinger published his first book, but he got most famous for his work The Catcher in the Rye, which he published in 1951. Eventually, he died aged 91 in his home in New Hampshire.

General information on the book:

The title of the book is: “The catcher in the rye.” I think this title fits the book well, because towards the end of the book, the main character tells his sister that when he grows up, he wants to be a catcher in the rye, someone who saves other people.

The book was published in 1951, I personally don't think it was very significant for when it was written, because the story probably takes place around the same time it was published, but this was never made clear in the book. But the way the book is written, and the way Holden’s opinions are stated in the book were not typical for the period it was written. It was quite controversial for its opinions on sex, prostitution, committing crimes, and teenage rebellion.

I think this book is considered a novel.

The main theme of the book is coming of age, because the main story is about Holden dealing with growing up. I think he doesn't want to grow up at first, but eventually he learns to accept it.

The story mainly takes place in New York, and it's set around the year 1950 around Christmas. This is never clarified in the book but since the novel was published in 1951, it's speculated that the story must have taken place around the same time. “I decided I'd take a room in a hotel in New York – some very inexpensive hotel and all – and just take it easy till Wednesday.” Page 54

The narrator of the story is Holden Caulfield and it's written in first person perspective. 

“‘No, but I don't want you stretching it with your goddamn shoulders and all,’ I said.” Page 27

Summary:

Holden Caulfield gets sent from school again, but he doesn't want to go home and tell his parents. So he decides to go to New York. Before he leaves he gets into a fight with his roommate, they fight over a girl called Jane Gallagher, who is a childhood friend of Holden. When he leaves he takes the train to New York and he rents a room at a cheap hotel. Soon after he gets in a fight with the elevator guy. The next day he meets up with Sally and he takes her to a Broadway show. Eventually, they get mad at each other because Sally didn't want to run away with him. Holden spends the night with an old friend from a school he used to go to. He gets really drunk and he drops the gift he bought for his sister Phoebe. He decides to sneak into his home and there he talks to Phoebe.

Links:

1. D. Salinger - Wikipedia

The Catcher in the Rye - Wikipedia

Own interpretation of the book:

I think the message the book gives you as a reader, is that you don't have to be scared of growing up. Because at the start of the book, Holden is still really childish and he doesn't want to grow up. I think that he wants everything to stay the same. And towards the end of the book, I feel like Holden accepts that things are changing and that he is getting older. 

Holden is the only and most important protagonist in this book. The whole story is told in Holden's perspective. Holden is someone who in my opinion doesn't really care about anything, I feel like in some ways he's kind of bored. And during the book you get to see what Holden does, and how he almost evolves into someone who does care.

I think a very important moment in the book, is when Holden visited Phoebe and he talked about his future in a more positive way “You know what I'd like to be... I know it's crazy” Page 186

The book ends with Holden telling us in a quit summarized way, what happened and what he is going to do. Holden ended up in what I assume is a mental hospital, and I think this is a good choice. Because reading this book I felt like that was something that would probably be good for Holden.

I personally didn't really like the book, but that is just because I'm more into fantasy books. But I did think the book was well written and I liked that the main character actually had character development, and that he didn't stay the same. I think the topic of the book can be quite interesting, and I think it would appeal to a lot of readers, especially readers who are around the same age as Holden. I think it was a quite serious book at some times “I felt sorry as hell for my mother and father...Who wants flowers when you're dead? Nobody.” page 167. But at some points, it also was quite light-hearted and sweet, for example when Holden and Phoebe meet up again and Holden waits while Phoebe goes on the carousel.