Billed as the consummate “coming of age” novel, J.D.
Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye has
been called a “masterpiece” by some, a “train wreck” by others, and has
seemingly been banned by all. I can tell
you this…it certainly is a brave literary work, and very progressive at that…the
early 1950’s was not well known for throwing the work “fuck” around liberally,
but Salinger puts it all out there…literally.
I found the story tolerable, but by no means engrossing. Honestly, I wanted to see what all the hubbub
was about, what with the book supposedly being a key tool for CIA mind control
experiments and programs. Yeah…I didn’t
get the urge to manifest into a Manchurian Candidate after finishing the last
page…but, I can say that I read the whole book…
If you are looking for a first edition on this one…it’s
going to be expensive. Later printings
can be had for a reasonable price…but if you want 1st/1st
it’s probably going to soak you financially (that’s First Edition/First
Printing, by the way). You might be able
to find the book somewhere online, but there are no first edition digitalized
or scanned copies available. Best to
pick up a later edition off Amazon…