The Catcher in the Rye

Book review by Liz Perle, Common Sense Media
The Catcher in the Rye Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 14+

One of the greatest novels of the 20th century.

J. D. Salinger Literary Fiction 1969
Rate book

Parents say

age 15+

Based on 35 reviews

Kids say

age 14+

Based on 120 reviews

Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Rate book

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this book.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this book remains one of the best books about adolescence ever written. Any language used -- and it is chock full of mild to moderate swearing, and "f--k" is used several times -- is in the service of being true to the nature of a rebellious teen. There are also lots of sexual references, and everyone smokes and drinks -- including the underage protagonist. Holden refers to homosexuals as "flits." People have used these instances in an effort to have the book banned. But those who would do so miss the point of the book, which is a compassionate tale of a child adrift in the world. It's an American classic that everyone should read.

Community Reviews

Mother-Educator-Writer
Mother-Educator-Writer Adult
November 18, 2018
age 18+

Not For Classroom Instruction

Dear Parents and Students, While Catcher in the Rye remains one of my favored American Classics, it is not for classroom instruction. First, Salinger never intended it for an adolescent reading audience. It has always been a book written for adults. In fact, the story's theme resonates the ideal of protecting childhood innocence through the main character's struggled and hurried existence of developmental life experiences. His intense suffering, due to the abandonment of developmental theory, sadly embodies an overwhelming majority of our American youth. If we want to best serve our children's social-emotional and cognitive growth, we need to be on point with their stages of development. The continuum of adolescent development is so wide and unique to each child. Thus, as pillars of educational excellence, we need to be mindful of the materials we choose for learning. Guidance required for sensitive issues as is threaded throughout this story (suicide, rebellion, prostitution, drugs, alcohol, pedophilia, homosexuality, and vulgar language content) is beyond teacher training. The social-emotional well being of students should always front load instructional practice. Literary learning targets can be met through alternate texts. Parents and educators alike should champion the simple message J.D. Salinger penned... Provide your children with developmental stages of experiences that fit their unique needs. This is how we will together move our youth forward with greater sensitivity and care.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
1 person found this helpful.
ixca
ixca Adult
July 31, 2015
age 13+

I think it might be too intellectually challenging for some parents

I loved this book when I first read it at age 14 and continue to admire Salinger's writing to this day. It's fun to read the text again almost 30 years later and appreciate the differences in my interpretation. Some of the parent reviewers appear to simply not understand a complex narrative. It is not an easy "closed story" that explains everything for you. as other shave noted, there is a lot of cursing, discussion of sex, and alcohol consumption by minors. However, a strong 13+ reader should not have any trouble with the text, and a mature 13 + will understand that the "bad behavior" and cursing is not to mimicked. In sum, a great read that will not transform your child into anything bad, just a better reader.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
1 person found this helpful.
See all 35 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Holden Caulfield, about to be kicked out of yet another boarding school for flunking most of his courses, decides not to wait until the end of term and takes off for his hometown, Manhattan, a few days early. He figures he'll hole up in a cheap hotel, look up a few friends, then arrive home on time. But Holden is deeply troubled by the death of his beloved younger brother from leukemia, as well as a classmate's suicide. Alone in an uncaring city, his already fragile psyche begins to unravel.

Is It Any Good?

Holden Caulfield holds a place in the American psyche akin to Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer: an exquisitely rendered character with whom nearly anyone can identify. There are three true things that can be said about J.D. Salinger's masterpiece: It is one of the great works of American literature, it is one of the most frequently challenged by would-be book-banners, and, therefore, it is one of the most misunderstood books of the 20th century. It has been challenged and banned for all of the reasons mentioned above in the content advisories. But those who challenge it fail to see the forest for the little swearword trees. They have called Holden a cynical teenager, when in fact he's such a compassionate innocent abroad that he can hardly cope with the cynical world at all: He's so innocent and so alone that he tries to get a prostitute to just chat and keep him company (alas, no heart of gold here). Desperately lonely, adrift in what seems to him an uncaring world, he has been through some terrible experiences, and no one at all seems to have noticed that he's crumbling.

It's true that much of it is somewhat dated now. Yet there's a reason this book has stayed in print, is stocked in nearly every bookstore, and has been assigned in nearly every high school for the past 60-plus years: Its emotional power and poignancy are still as strong as ever, and Holden's inner self is just as recognizable to teens today as it has ever been. This is one of those books that everyone should read as a teen. At a time (1951) when "teen" and "adolescent" were barely concepts in the American mind, Salinger captured the adolescent voice and way of thinking more perfectly -- and more poignantly -- than just about anyone before or since.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the ways in which the content of the book, which is set in New York City in the early 1950s, might be considered dated by today's standards. How are Holden's experiences different from those of a modern teenager? If there are differences, are there also things in Holden's world that have largely stayed the same in terms of teenage life?

  • Do you relate to Holden in any way? Do you admire him, or do you pity him? Or is it a little of both?

  • Why do you think this book is considered so important -- and why do you think it's been one of the most frequently challenged books when it comes to censorship?

Book Details

  • Author: J. D. Salinger
  • Genre: Literary Fiction
  • Book type: Fiction
  • Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
  • Publication date: December 31, 1969
  • Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 17
  • Number of pages: 214
  • Available on: Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), iBooks, Kindle
  • Last updated: August 2, 2021

Our Editors Recommend

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate