Best Sites

Exploring Catcher in the Rye -- This is a wonderful site that includes an index of references in the book, a photo tour, and art gallery and more. Unfortunately, it is on a limited-access site and gets so many hits that you sometimes can't view the site because it has exceeded its data transfer limit. View when you can. [Go here for the index when this site is down.]

New York Times Featured Author -- This page collects reviews of the novel over the years, with links to related articles from the newspaper. You have to register to login, but registration is free.

Fan Site -- This fan site has some interesting links and a unique impression of the book. •

Life & Death

• The Economist Obituary
• London Guardian Obituary -- fact-filled.
• New York Times Obituary -- extensive links
• New Yorker Obituary
• Washington Post Obituary
• Time Obituary

“What Salinger Means to Me” -- National Public Radio obituary, also links to related NPR stories.

“In Search of J. D. Salinger” -- People overview, with pictures (6 June 1988).

Reviews

New York Times July 15, 1951 -- Original Release

“With Love and 20-20 Vision” -- Original Release, Time Magazine, 1951.

“Holden Today - Still in the Rye” by Stefen Kanfer -- Time Essay as an update on Holden’s post-novel life.

“Holden, 50, Still Catches” by Fred Bratman -- New York Times retrospective and analysis of novel’s impact.

“Get a Life, Holden Caulfield” by Jennifer Schuessler -- Ostensibly about the restraining order on a Catcher parody, this article focuses on whether or not the book is relevant to modern readers.

“Aw, the World’s a Crumby Place” by James Stern -- parody review of the novel.

“The Dimwitted Legacy of Holden Caulfield” by George Will -- Chicago Sun-Times retrospective analysis of novel’s impact by George Will, in imitation of Holden’s Style.

“Of Teen Angst and an Author’s Alienation” by Michiko Kakutani -- An appraisal and retrospective of the novel’s influence.

Cover as requested and specified by J. D. Salinger

 Critical Articles

“Love and Death in The Catcher in the Rye” by Peter Shaw -- offers a psychoanalytic interpretation of Holden’s social observations and mental state, placing his actions and emotions in the context of “the peculiar patterns of adolescent crisis.”

“Kings in the Back Row: meaning Through Structure - A Reading of Catcher in the Rye” by Carl F. Strauch -- analyzes the novel’s symbolic structure through language, motif, episode, and character.

“Holden at Fifty: The Catcher in the Rye and what it spawned” by Louis Menard -- An analysis of the impact and reputation of the novel over a fifty-year period.

Just for Fun

Comin’ Thro’ the Rye Lyrics

Central Park’s Official Website

Catcher in the Rye Quotes at GoodReads

Fan Fiction -- Alternate endings, added chapters, other fiction in the style or on the subject of Catcher.

Fisher-Price Theater -- Go here for an intriguing comic book version of the novel.

Walk in Holden’s Footsteps -- Interactive Map of New York City and a related article.

“Bunch of Phonies Mourn J. D. Salinger” -- Onion obituary.

Phonies! Movies Inspired by J. D. Salinger -- a photo-show from Time.

The Gospel According to Holden -- Newsweek article Holden’s influence on pop culture, crime, even linguistics.

“In Praise of Serious Hats” by Lance Morrow -- reflective essy on the symbolism of hats (25 April 1983, Time).

Assignments for the Novel

Teaching Poster: Design a poster designed to teach your classmates about the novel.

In Holden’s Syle: Creative writing assignment emulating Holden’s style.

Writing about Literature: Directions for your essay on The Catcher in the Rye.

ABC Book: Group project to create an alphabet book using characters, symbols, events, etc. from The Catcher in the Rye.

Catcher in the Rye Crossword Puzzle (free from Prestwick House).

Understanding Character: Using the handout, analyze Holden’s character and use your analysis and imagination to determine appropriate answers for each of these strange questions.

Poetry Project: Creative writing assignment requiring four original poems derived from The Catcher in the Rye (limerick, ode, viewpoint, and found).

Character Poems: Compose a series of poems and/or songs in the voices of characters from the novel. You may want to imagine that you have been hired to turn the novel into a musical or even a modern opera.

Crash Course Literature: View and take notes on John Green’s commentaries.
The Catcher in the Rye Part 1: Language, Voice, and Holden Caulfield
The Catcher in the Rye Part 2: Holden, JD, and the Red Cap

*SPECIAL NOTE: Prestwick House offers Levels of Understanding, a unit based on Bloom’s Taxonomy which includes leveled writing assignments for each chapter, as well as a very useful introduction and teacher guide. I rarely recommend commercial products like this, but definitely worth the $25.00 for 183 pages.

Applied Practice also offers an unit with passages andAP-style multiple-choice questions. The explanations of correctanswers are especially useful ihn teaching AP MC stratgies. NOT useful as a reading check, BUT can even be used without reding the qhole novel. Sampler.