What is the catcher in the rye about?

The Catcher in the Rye is set around the 1950s and is narrated by a young man named Holden Caulfield. Holden is not specific about his location while he's telling the story, but he makes it clear that he is undergoing treatment in a mental hospital or sanatorium. read more

"The Catcher in the Rye" deeply influenced the biographical drama film, "The Rebel in the Rye", which is about the writer of "The Catcher in the Rye", J.D. Salinger. It is a visual about his life, before and after World War II, and gives more about the author's life than the readers of "The Catcher in the Rye" learned from the novel. read more

The first mention we get of this mysterious catcher in this mysterious rye is when Holden overhears a little kid singing, "If a body catch a body coming through the rye." For just a second, it makes him feel not so depressed, in part because Holden is a fan of little children, and we can all agree that the only things better than little kids are singing little kids. read more

A short summary of J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of The Catcher in the Rye. read more