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Josef Benson

J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye: A Cultural History Hardcover – March 12, 2018

by Josef Benson (Author)

3.9 97 ratings

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A fascinating examination of J.D. Salinger and his landmark novel, The Catcher in the Rye

Since its publication in 1951, The Catcher in the Rye has been a cultural phenomenon, not only as an assigned text for English courses, but as a touchstone for generations of alienated youth. But who was J.D. Salinger, and how did he come to write a novel whose impact continues to resonate with millions of readers?

In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye: A Cultural History, Josef Benson examines the legacy of an elusive author and his work. After exploring how the novel reflected Salinger’s tortured psyche, Benson discusses how the book made an impact on generations of readers—from 1960s counter-culture youth and followers of the Black Power movement of the 1970s to the disenfranchised teens of the Reagan era and the celebrity-fixated masses of the present day. In addition, Benson unravels the mystery behind Salinger’s reclusiveness, the effects the novel had on the reading public who adored it, and why three American assassins cited the novel as an inspiration.

J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye also considers why this work of fiction has been among the most widely taught—and most frequently banned—books of all time. By looking at the novel as both an artifact of the 1950s as well as a living testament to the turmoil of teenage angst, this book provides a riveting discussion of one of the most enigmatic novels and authors of all time.

Print length

174 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Publication date

March 12, 2018
Dimensions

6.16 x 0.75 x 9.39 inches
ISBN-10

1442277947
ISBN-13

978-1442277946
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Josef Benson is an associate professor of English at the University of Wisconsin Parkside. He is the author of Hypermasculinities in the Contemporary Novel: Cormac McCarthy, Toni Morrison, and James Baldwin and Star Wars: The Triumph of Nerd Culture.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (March 12, 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 174 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1442277947
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1442277946
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.16 x 0.75 x 9.39 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,165,722 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #271 in 20th Century Literary Criticism (Books)
- #1,584 in American Fiction Anthologies
- #6,100 in Author Biographies

Customer Reviews:
3.9 97 ratings

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Josef Benson

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Josef Benson is associate professor of Literatures and Languages at the University of Wisconsin Parkside where he offers courses in contemporary literature, African American literature, gender studies, film, poetry writing, fiction writing, and composition. He is the author of Star Wars: The Triumph of Nerd Culture (Rowman & Littlefield 2020), J.D. Salinger's the Catcher in the Rye: A Cultural History (Rowman & Littlefield 2018), and Hypermasculinities in the Contemporary Novel: Cormac McCarthy, Toni Morrison, and James Baldwin (Rowman & Littlefield 2014). Additionally, his work has appeared or is forthcoming in over twenty publications, including: Modern Fiction Studies, American Literature in Transition, 1980-1990 (Cambridge UP), Journal of Medical Humanities, Journal of Bisexuality, Southwestern American Literature, The Raymond Carver Review, Saw Palm, Moon City Review, The Adirondack Review, and Prick of the Spindle. He holds creative writing degrees from Missouri State University and the University of South Florida as well as a Ph.D. in literature with a heavy emphasis in gender theory also from the University of South Florida, where he studied primarily with Susan Mooney, John Henry Fleming, and Jay Hopler. He is currently working on two books: The Invisible Costume: Whiteness and the Construction of Race in American Comics and Graphic Novels (UP of Mississippi 2022) and The Sniper: A Cultural Reading of Jeffrey Dahmer.

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5

97 global ratings

5 star		60%
4 star		11%
3 star		4%
2 star		4%
1 star		21%

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Top reviews from the United States

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A. Ivkovic

Learn new things + entertaining

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 6, 2018

Verified Purchase

I especially like a book that can entertain me and from which I can learn new things. This does both. I found it to a very interesting read and learned a lot about the “behind the scenes” events / experiences that shaped The Catcher in the Rye. The book also managed to sneak in some very interesting and educational information about general history.

11 people found this helpful

Helpful

massjohn

I feel like an idiot.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 31, 2020

Verified Purchase

Just goes to show you to read the product description before purchasing an item. I wanted the actual book "The Catcher In The Rye" and what I got was someone else's summery of what they thought of the book. To be fair The author Josef Benson seems thoughtful and truthful in his experience with the book It's just not what I wanted or would have sought out in reading material.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

MOF42

had not read it since high school

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 26, 2018

Verified Purchase

better second time around

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Donne Su

Racist Nonsense

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 6, 2019

Verified Purchase

I really would like to enjoy the book, but it has so many hateful nuances that stand out. He gives an obvious bias against certain racial, sexual, and religious groups. Not only that, but he begins to bash these groups and tries to provide some kind of evidence through fatuous “insights” of Salinger’s masterpiece.

Also, the book cover is extremely misleading. I bought this book thinking it was the original Catcher in the Rye, but was thoroughly disappointed when i found out what it really was.

I usually don’t express hate toward people’s hard work, but this book was extremely infuriating.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

A great classic

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 15, 2023

"The Catcher in the Rye" is a hilarious tale of several days in the life of Holden Caulfield, a sixteen-year-old boy who was expelled from a prep school for failing to apply himself to school work. The title suggests Holden's desire to protect unsullied children from the phoniness of the adult world. He wants to catch children playing innocently in the field of rye from falling over the cliff into the phony adult world. The book has Holden repeatedly showing the struggles and confusions of children and their desire for friendship. The book was serialized in 1945 and 1946 and published as a novel in 1951. The story mentions sex and homosexuality. Holden does not engage in either. He is a virgin. But he yearns for sex and friendship. Many critics who praise the book see it as a critique of American society. I read the book twice, decades apart, when I was young and old, and I enjoyed both times.

Helpful

Matt McBride

An excellent look at the way Catcher serves as a cipher ...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 7, 2018

An excellent look at the way Catcher serves as a cipher for understanding middle class and upper middle class whites' attitudes towards cultural change. The book has a taught, three-part where each chapter mixes insights of how aspects Salinger's life affect the text, how those attitudes are reflected in potentially politically transformative surrogates who could have bridged conflicting groups and committed to real advocacy but instead chose instead to fall back into privileging systems they could have upset had they chosen. Benson's choices include people like Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, Vanilla Ice, and Bill Clinton, amongst others. In making this argument, Benson also provides a very readable account of the history of American privilege and systemic racism in the US post WWII. The third, most subtle thread, is a biography of the author himself, bookending his discussion and modeling the self awareness his subjects lack. A very necessary book for our political moment where, as Benson notes, we are all Holden Caufield online and Donald Trump is president of the United States.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

PERRY GAYALDO

FAKE - DECEPTIVE

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 23, 2019

Verified Purchase

THIS IS NOT JD SALINGER’s BOOK!!! I’m pissed off that I purchased this piece of junk when I thought I was purchasing the original. Don’t get scammed. This was the only kindle option and I thought it was the original. Very VERY deceptive!

Helpful

Marie

True to the title: A Cultural History

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 4, 2018

I loved it.

Although I was initially hesitant about diving into the critical analysis of a book that I had not read in many years, I found it to be immediately accessible and never felt lost. It was easy to take Holden Caulfield out of the mental garage, dust him off and get reacquainted.

Staying true to its title as ‘a cultural history,’ the book provides thorough social and political context to the Catcher in the Rye’s controversy, popularity and long-lasting influence in America. I learned a lot of new things about 20th century U.S. history, pop-culture icons in various social movements, and of course, J.D. Salinger.

It’s meaty, entertaining and at times, painfully relevant.

One person found this helpful

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