The story is narrated by Holden Caulfield, and it all takes place a few days before Christmas. It begins with him on his way to tell his history teacher goodbye. He reveals that he has been expelled from his school, Pencey Prep, and that it is the fourth school he has failed out of. Not wanting to face his parents, Holden takes a train to New York and checks in at the Edmont hotel. He goes to the nightclub in the hotel’s lobby and after talking to some women there, takes a taxi to another nightclub, but leaves when he sees his brother’s ex-girlfriend. The next morning, he arranges to meet with his own ex-girlfriend and they spend the day together. But he makes a rude comment to her and she leaves crying. That night, Holden meets his classmate at a bar, who is annoyed by his immature remarks and leaves too. Holden gets drunk and sneaks into his family’s apartment building where he admits to his younger sister that he has been kicked out of school, then he runs away when his parents come home. The next day, he asks his sister to meet him for lunch, and reveals that he plans to run away. She insists on going with him but refuses and takes her to the zoo, where he watches her ride the carousel. This is where the story ends. I really enjoyed this book. I like the way the author instantly establishes the story’s brash atmosphere by portraying the narrator as lazy and arrogant. Although, because of his character, the narrator often goes on long tangents, which don’t contribute much to the story. Basically the entire book is one long flashback with some references to the present. I think that this is an interesting format and that it is well executed here. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I recommend it to anyone who likes this genre.
Preston Fricke
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