’50 Novels’ #5: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

I’ve finished reading Cormac McCarthy’s The Road as part of my 50 Novels in One Year reading challenge (I’ll share some of my thoughts on it later), so I’m moving on to Novel #5 – The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.

Published in 1951, this controversial ‘coming of age’ novel, follows the main protagonist 16 year-old Holden Caulfield, as he spends a few days on his own in New York, after being expelled from his prep school.

I chose to read The Catcher in the Rye mainly because everywhere I look, it not only turns up on the main ‘must read’ lists, but it also often receives high acclaim for its profound and accurate observation of male adolescence. I find the topic fascinating and am interested in discovering how a novelist may handle such a situation (EDIT: post-reading thoughts can be found HERE).