07/24/2026

I finally got my hands on The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, which is a classic English novel taught in many English classes at schools. I kept hearing about it on social media and about its complex characters, so I decided to give it a try. Honestly, I have some mixed feelings about it because I wasn’t as focused on the plot as I probably should have been. Instead, I was more drawn to the characters’ thoughts and their perceptions of life, which made me overthink a lot while reading the book.

The book starts with Holden Caulfield, a 16-year-old boy from New York City who gets kicked out of his boarding school, Pencey Prep. Instead of returning home, he feels ashamed and decides to spend a few days wandering around the city. Throughout the story, Holden wants meaningful relationships with others, but he often ends up pushing people away.

At first, I thought Holden was an absolute menace because he always had something negative to say about people. He constantly called others “phonies,” which I found ironic because he judged people for being fake while also struggling with his own honesty and identity. However, as the story continued, I realized that Holden is a hurt person who has developed a very negative perception of the world around him.

Holden’s struggles come from his fear of growing up because he sees the adult world as full of lies, disappointment, and people pretending to be something they are not. He longs for the innocence he had when he was younger and struggles to cope with the death of his brother Allie, which deeply impacts the way he views people and life. He misses the memories and the raw innocence of his childhood.

My favorite part of the book was Holden’s love for his little sister Phoebe. Despite constantly criticizing people and struggling to build relationships, Phoebe is one of the only people who truly understands him. Their conversations show a softer side of Holden that you do not always get to see. Behind all his sarcasm and anger, he is really just someone who feels lost and wants to be understood.

To be honest, although I felt really frustrated with Holden throughout the story, I also felt sorry for him. Salinger did a great job of portraying a teenager’s raw emotions, and it honestly made the book relatable as someone who is approaching adulthood and starting to fear some of the difficult truths about reality.

Overall, I think The Catcher in the Rye is worth reading, especially if you enjoy books that focus more on symbolism, perspectives, and emotions rather than just an action-filled plot. This book is especially meaningful because it is a coming-of-age story that explores the struggles of growing up and trying to understand yourself in a complex, unpredictable world.