"The Catcher in the Rye"...by J.D. Salinger

In my lifetime, this novel was one that I would never have thought by reading its content alone...would ever be a popular book to read. Yet, even today 250,000 copies are sold each year, and over 65 million people have purchased this novel since it was first published on July 15th, 1951. Wow, was I wrong.
 So, what is it about this novel that has drawn millions to its story, and has been published in almost every language of the known world? Here then is a brief synopsis...I'm leavin' alot out...I know.

 Holden Caulfield is the narrator and main character of this novel entitled: "The Catcher in the Rye" and in this novel Caulfield describes his experiences in life as a confused teenager, not having a grasp on the adult life, often leading him to an alienation and even rebellion toward people and life in general.
  I remember growing up in "the Revolution Era", the late 60's and early 70's, and reading this novel. I also remember thinking at the time...this is the greatest thing I have ever read! Now, I ask myself: Why? What was it that fascinated me about this novel...maybe because I was about the same age as "Holden" as he describes his experiences in his young life?...I don't know.

 The novel is centered in December of 1949. Holden is telling this story from possibly a mental hospital or a tuberculosis rest home in Southern California. He is telling this story to a psychoanalyst and Holden relates as one who is quite cynical, often jaded speech with the use of profanity, unstable in his character, and is one to change his mind easily and often.
 Holden begins by telling he had been going to a prep school in Pennsylvania, a prep school called Pencey Prep. It is nearing Christmas break and Holden has been expelled till after break because of losing the fencing team's equipment in a subway which resulted in the fencing team having to cancel the match.
 Holden doesn't want to get home for Christmas break too early, or his parents will know about his situation, so, after saying good-bye to a  history teacher named Mr. Spencer, he catches a train for NYC and stays in a hotel until Christmas break officially begins.

 Holden checks into this run-down hotel called the Edmont Hotel. He immediately notices "pervs" staying in a room facing his, and begins to speak on his own personal struggles with sexuality in general. He goes into some detail with this, claiming to have had opportunities to lose his virginity, but he never felt quite right about it, and his respect for women had an impact on this train of thought.
 Then, Holden spends the evening dancing in the hotel lounge with 3 women (in their 30's) that are from Seattle...and he basically got left with the check.
 As the novel goes on, Holden entertains a prostitute in his room named Sunny, and Holden sees her as a real person...not a whore. Holden explains all he really wants to do is talk, and she gets annoyed and leaves. Soon after her "pimp", the elevator guy, visits Holden and demands more money, "Sunny" pulls $5 from his wallet, and Maurice punches Holden in the gut as he is leaving. Holden throughout the novel spends extensive periods being drunk and battling loneliness.

 During his time there, he has an array of various experiences including:
1) meeting 2 nuns, one an English teacher in which Holden speaks with her about Romeo and Juliet.
2) Holden looks for a special song on a record (there were no things like cd or dvd) for his 10 year old sister, "Phoebe", the song was entitled "Little Shirley Beans". Throughout this story Holden is concerned about these ducks in a lagoon in Central Park, and when trying to find them at one point, he breaks Phoebe's record in the process.
3) Holden spends time with his dating friend Sally Hayes, and it ends up a mess. During this time Holden hears a boy singing:"If a body catches a body coming through the Rye" which has a profound effect on him.

 Holden ends up giving thought to the Museum of History which he had visited often as a child and then spends some time with Phoebe and shares with her some of his innermost thoughts.
 This is where Holden shares his fantasy of "being a guardian over numerous children who run and play in a huge rye field near the edge of a cliff." Holden's job in this fantasy is to catch any child who might get too close to the cliff, thus Holden is "The Catcher in the Rye".

 Holden finds joy in watching Phoebe ride a carousel in the rain and in the conclusion of the novel Holden warns its readers not to tell others about their experiences in life for it leads one to miss the people they shared the experiences with.
 Much of Holden's pain in life was possibly from a brother who had died.

The Catcher in the Rye is listed as one of the best novels of the 20th century. In 1960, a school teacher was fired for assigning the novel to his class ( he was later reinstated), and in 1961-62 it was the most censored book in high schools and libraries, and yet it has become the 2nd most taught book in schools in the U.S.
  So, the novel lives on...today.

 Back to my question: Why? I think it is because of this: Holden Caulfield opens his heart...and we as readers actually hear the "cries of his heart".
  Since the time I read this popular novel, I have received Christ Jesus and He has filled the void my own heart cried out...just like Holden...pain, confusion, no direction, aimless, and how life just didn't make sense.
 I think J.D. Salinger, a very reclusive man in his own right, was able to take what is inside of each of us without Him, and translate that on paper....a remarkable feat!
 J.D. Salinger passed away in 2010 at the age of 91.

Isaiah 53: 4(a) from the Living Translation:
 " Yet it was OUR weakness He carried,
    It was OUR sorrows that weighed Him down..."