tidy book where the hero
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If you're looking for a neat, tidy book where the hero beats the bad guy and gets the girl in the end--look somewhere else. Life isn't like that, and you know it. Holden Caulfield knows the world is full of phonies, and even if he lies a little himself, that's part of life too.On the surface, this is a story about nothing. Holden gets kicked out of boarding school and goes home to New York City. He doesn't want to tell his parents, so he gets a cheap room and spends a few days drinking, smoking, and catching up with old friends.What that doesn't tell you is that Holden is on the verge of a moral and emotional collapse. It's been coming ever since his kid brother died. Sure, lots of people can handle death gracefully, but a lot of us can't. For Holden, the death of sweet little kid challenges his belief in a just God, and without a moral foundation, he's left wondering how he can possibly live the rest of his life. It's a question any serious thinker poses eventually, and the way Holden seeks an answer is what this book is really about.Yes, there's language, but it's true to the character. What's more, while it may have been shocking 50 years ago, by today's standards it's very mild. Any reader with cable TV in the house has heard much worse. I recommend this book for any bright reader 12 years and up. 