J. D. Salinger's 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye is the definitive coming-of-age novel and Holden Caulfield remains one of the most famous characters in modern literature. This jargon-free guide to the text sets The Catcher in the Rye in its historical intellectual and cultural contexts offering analyses of its themes style and structure and presenting an up-to-date account of its critical reception.Â