This book is critically acclaimed in the present world. Wiki tells me that it wasn’t always so, that it was once considered to be ruinous to family values and teenage development.

I think it’s a great book. The writing style is stellar. Written in the first person the book outlines a few days in the life of Holden Caulfield. As I said stylistically the book is superb. Salinger writes a seeming confusing jumble of thoughts and words that, taken together form wonderful cohesive thoughts. An impressive feat.

The clever insights by the main character, while shallow and youthful in their immaturity are poignant. There’s plenty of absurdity in the world to go around, Holden’s ability to point out the obvious is somewhat insightful and humourous at the start of the book but began to wear on me.

I’m not a literary critic so take my words for what they are. I don’t see too much in this book and I don’t think anyone would be the poorer for not having read it. I would say though that The Catcher in the Rye is a relevant and central cultural artifact in latter 20th century America. It is not what’s in the book that matters but the book itself.