[Antoninus]

Holden is not a reliable narrator. He’s a kid having a nervous breakdown. Salinger clearly dislikes him. Read Salinger’s other fiction.

None of that changes the fact that it's a terrible book that no kid should ever be forced to read.

[Borges]

It’s perfectly crafted novel.

[ek_hornbeck]

There are far greater works of American literature out there for high school kids to read and study than Salinger. Catcher in the Rye is assigned on the premise that Caulfield is a character some teens can relate to and thus be more motivated to read about.