UPDATE: While of course there is an objective to this book– a theme or purpose. Holden was subject to abuse at some point in his life, causing his irate nature and peculiar reactions to minor details or actions inflicted upon him. But this was not stated in the book, nor was it heavily hinted about. This was the problem with the book: considering the plot was hidden, it could have been far more detailed or explanatory so the readers would be able to understand. You would have to reread the book a few times or study it in order to get the concept. Personally, a good book should never require you do that in order to understand the main point.

The Catcher in the Rye has to be one of the most overrated novels of all time.

On July 16, 1951, the critically acclaimed classic novel was published by J.D. Salinger. With a constant battle of love/hate relationships from readers, this book is not only acclaimed, but it is extremely controversial. Personally, I feel that the book was worded comprehensively, so that overall was not an issue. My main issue in this novel was the fact that it lacked any good story.

Throughout the novel, the story timeline is the brief period of winter 1949 to early 1950. It might not seem like a short period, but with reading the book, readers come to find that it’s only a couple of months. The majority of the book’s detail ranges from one to two weeks, while the rest of the timeline is only stated for the story’s background purposes. But what is so wrong with this?

Think about it: it is a novel that represents everyday life in the late 1940s in the span of a couple weeks; with only one narrator who had no specific objective. Not much could happen unless it was a sci-fi/fantasy novel. This is what made the story excruciatingly bland and uneventful. On top of it all, the main character, Holden Caulfield, was a nightmare to listen to.

Holden was not only constantly complaining about everything, but he heavily emphasized that he hated everything and almost everyone. There was hardly any uplifting, heartfelt breaks from all the loathing he projected on everyone. Why on earth would this be an acclaimed novel– a world-famous classic at that? Do some people relate to it? Sure, we all experience hardship in our lives; but that doesn’t mean we want to indulge in a book that aims its central focus on all that undeniable pessimism.