Jerome David Salinger, American novelist, was born in 1919 in New York. He has grown up in trader’s family. He has studied at universities in New York and Columbia, where he has taken a course in short story writing. He has published short stories in various magazines including the Saturday Evening Post. During World War II. he has served in the U. S. infantry on the western group of armies in Europe. After the war he has started writing literature, mainly psychological novels and tales, in which he dedicates his attention to children’s and youngsters’ problems. Major success came with the novel The Catcher in the Rye, which was written in 1951. The success of this novel really surprised him.
Nowadays he lives alone in simple house in New Hampshire and he refuses any interviews and publicity.

The Catcher in the Rye novel is divided into 26 short parts. Author used here very vivid spoken language with huge amount of slang words and not rarely also vulgarisms, what is typical for thousands of young Americans. The story is told in I-narration.
The title of the book is perceived as motto of the novel, while the rye-field is symbol of America in the past, when it wasn’t destroyed by factories and desire of money.

„- Poznáš tú pesničku Keď raz človek niekde v žite chytí človeka?
- To má byť Keď raz človek niekde v žite stretne človeka. To je báseň. povedala Phoebe.
- Proste ja si v jednom kuse predstavujem, ako sa davy malých deciek hrajú na takmom velikánskom žitnom poli. Tisíce malých deciek, a široko-ďaleko ani jediného dospeláka, myslím teda okrem mňa. A ja Ti stojím na kraji nejakej strašnej priepasti. A vieš, čo musím robiť? Musím chytiť každého, kto sa priblíži k tej priepasti. Rozumieš, ak uteká a nedáva pozor, kam uteká, ja musím odniekiaľ vyliezť a chytiť ho. Toto by som robil od rána do večera. Chytal by som tie decká v žite. Viem, že je to bláznovstvo, ale je to jediná vec, ktorú by som fakt rád robil.“

The psychological novel The Catcher in the Rye tells story about one young, 16 years old boy Holden Caulfield, son of solvent parents. Parents wanted him to study the best schools, but it wasn’t purpose of his youth and life.
Holden was kicked out of the third school in order. As he was studying at residential school, he packed all his things up and decided to go home. It was few days before Christmas.

Holden had quite a lot of money, while his parents were so rich, so it was no problem for him to pay for food, transport or stay in hotels. During his journey he met up with some old friends, his former girlfriend and so on, but he also met some new folks.
He didn’t want to come home until his parents didn’t get the message about Holden’s elimination from school. That is why he was overnighting in hotels. He knew that his parents would be angry, when they found out that their son was kicked out of Pencey School.
After some wandering in the streets of New York he made a decision to secretly visit his younger sister Phoebe, because he liked her very much. He was sure to escape from New York and from all his family and live alone in the wilds, forests or somewhere like it. Only Phoebe persuaded him to stay at home and once more try to attend school.

Holden Caulfield
- Main protagonist, 16 years old boy. He is quite addicted, smokes a lot and drinks alcohol more than is proper. - He is from time to time rude and cheeky, but in most cases he behaves politely. - He is talkative nature, but his vocabulary isn’t as excellent as it should be. His favourite words for example are “a tak”, “bohatstvo” and many others. He uses these words in his narration as often as possible.
- Doesn’t like almost everybody. He has no respect for nearly anything, hates his school, teachers, schoolmates, successful people and everything commercial. Sometimes it seems that he hates the entire world. The exceptions are just few special people who he acknowledges, like one professor from school, some members of family.

„Bohatstvo, ako ja školu nenávidím! A nielen školu. Všetko. Nenávidím život v New Yorku a vôbec. Nenávidím taxíky a autobusy na Madison Avenue so šoférmi, čo večne na teba revú, že sa vystupuje vzadu, nenávidím výťahy, v ktorých sa musím voziť, ak chcem ísť von, predavačov u Brooksa, čo ti donekonečna skúšajú nohavice, nenávidím...“

- He has slight inclination to paedophile- does like children. But it isn’t as bad as it might impress. He thinks that children are good, not perverted by present society, or something like it. As a purpose of his life he sees protection of small children from the world. The most of all kids he loves his younger sister Phoebe. Identically he likes his brother Allie, who was presently few years after death. - Often underrates himself. He is sure that he is fool; therefore he can’t achieve good results at school. - Don’t know what he wants.

In every free minute he thinks about something, speculates, meditates, philosophises.

Phoebe Caulfield
- Holden’s only 10 years old sister, but she is very mature, sensible and wise. She reaches good results at school, not as her brother. - Likes her brother like he loves her.
- A little head-strong.
- She is always trying to change Holden's mind in order to think more about his future life. Allie Caulfield
- Holden’s brother, currently dead. He died for leukaemia. - During his life he was very clever, skilful and spry boy. Holden liked also him very much and he psychically went through it really hardly. Mr. Antolini
- Holden’s teacher, one of small group of people, who Holden likes, because he respected him.
- Funny and very helpful.

Jane Gallagher
- Holden’s former girlfriend.
- She likes Holden, but she is interested mostly in herself, quite egoistic. Robert Ackley
- Holden’s neighbour at Pencey School. He wasn’t very popular, messy boy, dirty and unclear. - Eccentric, who enjoys irritating others with his disgusting behaviour. In my personal opinion this novel is a lot original, but sometimes also rather weird. As far as main character is concerned, I didn’t like that his every second word was the same (I mean already mentioned “a tak” and others). I think that Holden was sometimes egoistic, sometimes neurotic and always buck passer. For example when he says that he is fool or unwise, it is just alibi in order to not learn and excuse when he is once again kicked out of school.
He hates whole world and maybe he thinks how is he brilliant and excellent, but also he isn’t perfect. He doesn’t know what he wants and doesn’t think about his future life. He is destroying himself with smoking and drinking alcohol.
The novel is several parts chaotic, here and there dull and boring. On the other hand some parts and ideas of the novel are motivating and interesting and some were even humorous.
As well the point of the novel was remarkable.

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Jerome David Salinger The Catcher in the Rye