I'm glad that I read it and that it affected me the way it did--spiritually and morally-- especially as I look at some of the comments rating this book as ".5" out of "5" and feel a slight hint of loathing for that type of blind person. We must be not just sensitive toward others, like the immature Holden, but compassionate and humble in respect of our fellow man. This is the lesson about our egotism which we learn from "Catcher in the Rye."

Are you kidding me? This si one of the most amazing book I've ever read. People that didn't like it: that's because you don't understand it. So, reread it and do some better analyzing. I feel so bad for the people out there that haven't read this, it's rtuly amazing.

This book really isn't as bad as so many people say it is. I actually didn't mind it. Pretty good read although the ending was really bad, you could tell the author got a little tired of writing the book.

Most. Overrated. Book. EVER. written by the Most.Overrated.Author.EVER.

I always thought that this book was a serious endeavor, some sort of literary juggernaut that all American teenagers had to muddle through in the same way their Canadian counterparts were forced to read The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence. When I started it though, I thought it was some kind of joke! Holden Caulfield's straight forward diatribes were funny and threw me right back into the time. But beyond this prep school banter, the book has real meat to it in the mental state of Caulfield as he struggles with his brother's death, his privileged lot in life, and society's expectations of him. I can see the controversy of the book as part of the high school curriculum with the language, drinking and sex, but talking about teenage angst I think is pretty important. I've read reviews that say the ending falls short, but I liked the ending. I felt it opens possibilities for Holden.

I read it few times as teenager - luckily nothing to do with school - imagine being young and discovering J.D. Salinger? This is must-read classic. Warning: do NOT read it if you are already depressed.

I did not like this book. I found it crude, with little direction. The language, while attempting to sound like a teenager, often just sounded like bad writing. The ending was hardly an ending at all. I did love the brother-sister relationship though.

It's an all-time favorite amongst some of my friends. I read this book for the first time back in middle school and I was taken aback a bit by the story. At the time, i don't know if I throughly understood it but for some reason the protagonist was so relatable even if I didn't believe I went through similar issues. It's probably assigned so often in high school because of how relatable Houlden is.

I didn't much like it when I was 16. Honestly, I found it a bit boring and self-indulgent, but that was a while ago. After reading all these reviews, maybe I'll give it a try again one day.

One of the best books written in recent history! DEFINATELY a must read!