Reviews of the Catcher in the Rye (Maya)
The publishing of The Catcher in the Rye in 1951 caused an uproar.
Several people were deeply offended by the foul and obscene language that
Salinger used to convey Holden Caulfield’s thoughts and views. Other’s
dubbed the book a literary masterpiece that would stand the test of time.
In an article that was published in the New York Times in 1951, Salinger was
compared to some of the greatest writers of stories about children, Richard
Hughes and Walter de la Mare. Oddly enough, within the same article the
author points out that the story was too long and rather depressing (Stern,
1951). Another article in the New York Times expresses only the highest
praise for every aspect of the novel, including the language. The article
states “Holden's story is told in Holden's own strange, wonderful language
by J. D. Salinger in an unusually brilliant novel, "The Catcher in the Rye,"
(Burger, 1951) The Encyclopedia of American Literature views it as “Perhaps
the most widely read and most beloved novel of adolescent experience in
American literature,” (Boswell & Marshall, 2008). Many critics agree that
Salinger’s use of profanity was unnecessary and countless adults find the
material not suitable for children. These opposing views lead to the banning
of the book from public schools. Eventually the book was allowed back into
schools and many teachers agree that The Catcher in the Rye provides
useful lessons on adolescence and the world.
Throughout the years, The Catcher in the Rye has been challenged
several times but continues to be taught in public schools. Although many
people agree that this book should remain banned from public schools, there
are still a great many people that find this novel to be an American classic
and consider the teaching of it to be necessary. This obvious divide in
viewpoints would lead the public to safely assume that America always has
and always will have opposing views on The Catcher in the Rye.
http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/09/13/specials/salingerrye01.html?scp=2&sq=catcher%20in%20the%20rye&st=cse
http://www.fofweb.com/NuHistory/default.asp?ItemID=WE52&NewItemI
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http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/09/13/specials/salinger-rye02.html