Catcher in the Rye has been considered an "American classic" practically since it was published. It became so popular that J.D. Salinger detached himself from society to avoid attention. When I was first assigned this book I was nervous and excited. This book is the quintessential high school english class book, so I felt like I had to like this book. Luckily, I did.
I really enjoyed the narrative voice of Holden. He has the right amount of humor and sass to depict a believable teenage protagonist. The way he spoke seems really believable, and was consistent throughout. I enjoyed how he calls his little sister "old Phoebe," and always calls people "cumby" or "phony." By doing this, it really gives a sense of who Holden is.
The narrative was also very interesting. It seemed to be a stream of consciousness that the reader is supposed to understand, but doesn't always fully get. Holden admits, at one point, that he really enjoys digressions as long as they are interesting. He says they can be more interesting than the actual point itself.
Holden also addresses the readers at times. He'll say things like "you'd have liked him" (pg.43). In class someone compared this to Ferris Bueller's Day Off where Matthew Broderick speaks directly to the camera and talks about how he wished for a car, but got a computer. Another example is in The Office where the have the show going on, but will have characters sit in a chair and talk about the experience after the fact. This makes the reader feel like Holden is talking directly towards them, creating this feeling of "we understand each other."
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I felt the narrative voice was very captivating, and much different than A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.
