The Catcher in the Rye: Overrated?

I almost feel like I’ve missed something.  As if my copy of The Catcher in the Rye had a large section missing – a section where something relevant might have actually happened.  Otherwise I was left feeling a little bemused upon finishing the novel because I struggled to understand how a seemingly random depiction of a teenager’s life constituted one of the great novels of the twentieth century.  The novel, by J.D. Salinger, presents very little more than ramblings of the unhinged yet precocious Holden Caulfield as he wanders New York having just been kicked out of another school.  After reading the book (and ascertaining my copy was in fact in its entirety) I want to discover why this novel has become one of the “classics” and is still eulogised today.

     On the surface, there is very little that could merit the novel the renowned status it has.  The narrative is disjointed and structured around an amalgamation of Holden’s past memories and current thoughts and feelings all covering a three day period.  The style is convincing: told from the point of view of a teenager and this translates well with a colloquial and informal tinge to the writing - albeit the slang comes across a little dated in 2013.  But half-way through Holden’s hipster-style life story the reader begins to wonder where the novel is taking us. Ok Holden, so you’re miserable and you’ve had a hard time – but why do I need to know arbitrary things about your life?  The problem for the reader is that we never find out why Salinger wrote the story of Holden Caulfield.  We’re left waiting for the climax that never happens or the explanation that never comes.

     Perhaps if you’re a fan of The catcher in the Rye (and there are many) then you’ll probably rebuttal with the importance of the novel’s subtext: what it tries to say rather than how it actually says it.  Appraisal for the novel might suggest the ideas (or “theme”) behind the narrative is what makes it a triumph.  I found the message ambiguous, but ultimately I would argue that it’s the isolation and disillusionment of the pre-adult phase.  This is not a book for adults; and it is certainly not a children’s book.  It’s for the adolescents wavering between youth and the undesirable heights of adulthood.  It’s the long road from innocence to cynicism. 

     The success of the novel is arguably undeserved, but it’s not difficult to see where it comes from.  The Catcher in the Rye does achieve something unique: universal reliability.  Regardless of your background this is a novel that you can empathise with – especially if you read it as a young person.  We’re not all American, white, middle class; but everyone’s been Holden Caulfield at some point.  Growing up, maturing, finding a mould to fit into - we can all feel lost and irresolute.  Where everything seems vain and we’re left scrutinising the horizon but beheld only to a bleak, frightening outlook.  As Holden repeatedly points out: everything is “lousy”, and everyone is “phoney”.