Genre
Coming-of-age fiction
The Catcher in the Rye
A restless classic of teenage voice, grief and refusal.
Details
Subgenre
Teenage alienation novel
Original publication
16 July 1951
Original publisher
Little, Brown and Company
Pages
277
Format
Paperback, hardcover and ebook editions
Language
English
Setting
New York City and a boarding school in Pennsylvania
ISBN
9780316769174
Original title
The Catcher in the Rye
About the book
Holden Caulfield wanders New York after leaving school, railing against phoniness while revealing grief and vulnerability.
A fit for readers interested in adolescent voice, alienation, loneliness, rebellion and the difficulty of growing up.
Salinger's novel remains useful for readers who want a strong first-person voice rather than a heavily plotted story.
It works well for questions about youth, authenticity, isolation and emotional confusion beneath sarcasm.
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