All time favorites: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D.Salinger

It's always been quite hard for me to actually pick a favorite book because there are so many that I love. One of them (if not THE one) is Catcher in the Rye by J.D.Salinger. This book is I feel a cult classic and I don't think that there are many people who haven't heard of it.

It's a story about a boy called Holden Caulfield who's had enough of his school Pencey Prep and decides to leave it and go to New York. The story is set in the 1950s. Now, there isn't a very definitive plot to the book. It has this certain flow through which we get to know Holden and learn about his life. For example, by picking up a book or looking at something, Holden starts to remember things from his life. The thing about this book is that it's written in a subjective form, from Holden's point of view. And his voice is so honest and raw and real and funny, you can completely relate to it. You actually have a feeling that you are reading the thoughts of a real person. This book is a perfect story about teenage rebellion and alienation. 

The thing I like the most about this book is the story behind the title. Holden is kind of lost, and he's not sure where he's going and he doesn't really know how to properly engage and communicate with people and he doesn't know how to deal with everything. His sole fantasy, the only meaning he can perceive is being a catcher in the rye. This is triggered by a song he hears- Comin' through the Rye by Robert Burns. He actually mishears the song so for him being a catcher in the rye means keeping thousands of kids who are playing in a field of rye from falling of a cliff. For him, this really means keeping the kids from growing up.

There was certain controversy surrounding the book, given the fact that Holden usually uses vulgar language and he's doing all sorts of things that break certain moral codes etc. But, that is kind of missing the point of the book and undermining it. 

I like that this book portrays such a strong feeling of loneliness and alienation and the feeling that nobody quite gets you or your life. I think that it's a phase everyone goes through at some point in there life, especially during the teenage years of our lives. But I also feel, that that kind of a sentiment never really goes away. It's always in us, it stays and sticks with us. And I think this book does a beautiful job of expressing that sort of feeling and can actually help you to surpass it or at least deal with it in some way.