Resumo de Catcher In The Rye - Timeless Masterpiece

J.D. Salinger''s 1945 book, Catcher in the Rye,
told to us by the main character Holden Caulfield, begins the night
before he leaves Pencey Prep after being kicked out for not applying
himself to any subject except composition. It''s at least the second
school that has kicked him out and he hopes to delay facing his
parents'' wrath by bumming around New York City for a few days until his
family expects him for Christmas vacation. He''s a tall, fairly
handsome, very cynical, smoking teenager who is still a virgin and has
no direction in life. His apathy probably has to do with his post-WW II
world as much as the death of his much-beloved, younger brother, Allie.

Holden''s introduction sets the pace for the next 276 pages with 26 untitled chapters.

Soon you realize that Catcher in the Rye is told with many flashbacks
that relate in some way to his present situation, with events leading
up to his termination at Pencey and memories of his interactions with
his roommate, neighbor, his kid sister, a teacher and girls. He horses
around and tries to engage the first two in conversation when they
ignore him or try to sleep. It isn''t until he learns who Stradlater is
dating that he shows some real concern.

Unable to stop worrying about this girl he knows well, Jane, Holden
starts an ill-conceived, physical fight with Stradlater when he
returns. All bloodied, Holden doesn''t even clean up or stuff his nose,
but forces an invitation from his neighbor to sleep in the bed of his
gone-for-the-weekend roommate. It''s not until Holden waits for the
train to the city that he uses snow on his face. Throughout the book he
keeps thinking fondly of this girl, wanting to call her only to fall
out of the mood to do so. He also criticizes all movies now as stupid
and forces himself to go to one alone while waiting to meet a snobbish
friend in the city. He gets very little sleep, tries to get laid by a
hooker, chickens out, tries to get drunk, tries to find out what
happened to the ducks in Central Park now the water''s frozen over. He
provides a graphic picture of the eccentricities of people in the city
as well as his own.

The title, Catcher in the Rye, comes from his dream of being on the
edge of a rye field where there''s a cliff and he''s catching all the
playing children before they fall off. I''m no Dr. Freud, but his role
in the dream is probably two-fold with him wanting to be a child
playing at life, but needing to be an adult who catches himself being
irresponsible.

This classic, even after all these years, remains extremely fresh. Read
it for a realistic, often amusing, coming-of-age portrait, a one of a
kind character study, unlike any other. It has to be read to be
understood. And its as much about style (the writing) as it is about
anything else. Truly beautiful work. So buy CATCHER IN THE RYE! Read
it. Another novel, somewhat related to Catcher is THE LOSERS CLUB:
Complete Restored Edition! by Richard Perez, another book I found very
entertaining.

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