NewThe Catcher in the Rye
A Teenage Rebel’s Journey Through New York
by J.D. SalingerNovelComing-of-AgeModernist Fiction
The Catcher in the Rye
Originally in English1951
26 chapters296 pages5½h read
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About This Book
Step into the restless mind of Holden Caulfield, a seventeen-year-old navigating the gritty streets and glitzy facades of 1950s New York. Recently expelled from prep school, Holden sets out on a whirlwind adventure filled with hotels, bars, and city landmarks, all while wrestling with the loss of innocence and the phoniness he sees in the adult world. With his raw, confessional voice and sharp wit, Holden invites readers to experience his moments of vulnerability, rebellion, and fleeting hope. The Catcher in the Rye is a timeless coming-of-age story that captures the turbulence and longing of adolescence like no other.
Characters
View all 119 charactersAbout the Author
J.D. Salinger
1919–2010
J.D. Salinger was born Jerome David Salinger on January 1, 1919, in New York City. Raised in Manhattan, he attended several schools, including Valley Forge Military Academy, before briefly enrolling at Ursinus College and New York University. Salinger began writing short stories in the late 1930s, with his work appearing in magazines such as The New Yorker. His experiences serving in World War II deeply affected him and influenced his writing. Following the immense success of his debut novel, Salinger became increasingly reclusive, withdrawing from public life and publishing only sporadically after the 1960s. He spent much of his later life in Cornish, New Hampshire, and passed away in 2010.
Places and Terms in this Book
Pencey— The preparatory school Holden attends, where he lives in the Ossenburger Memorial Wing.
New York— The city Holden visited with the fencing team for a meet, where he accidentally left their equipment on the subway.
Hollywood— The center of the American film industry, where Holden's brother D.B. works as a screenwriter.
Elkton Hills— Another previous school Holden attended, which he quit because he found it full of 'phonies.'
Central Park South— The southern border of Central Park in Manhattan, New York City, near the lagoon Holden is thinking about.
Maine— A state in the northeastern United States where Allie died of leukemia in 1946.
Vocabulary
dough— Money (slang).
bastard— An offensive term for an unpleasant or despicable person.
goddam— A mild expletive, used for emphasis.
lousy— Very bad or unpleasant.
sonuvabitch— A derogatory term for a person, a variant of "son of a bitch."
crumby— Inferior, unpleasant, or dirty.
