The catcher in the rye is a novel by j d salinger partially published in serial form in 1945 1946 and as a novel in 1951 it was originally intended for adults but is often read by adolescents for its themes of angst alienation and as a critique on superficiality in society it has been translated widely around one million copies are sold each year with total sales of more than 65 . The catcher in the rye novel by jd salinger published in 1951 the novel details two days in the life of 16 year old holden caulfield after he has been expelled from prep school confused and disillusioned holden searches for truth and rails against the phoniness of the adult world. The catcher in the rye jd salinger the catcher in the rye is a story by j d salinger first published in serial form in 1945 6 and as a novel in 1951 story of holden caulfield with his idiosyncrasies penetrating insight confusion sensitivity and negativism. The catcher in the rye the catcher in the rye is jd salingers 1951 novel of post war alienation told by angst ridden teen holden caulfield controversial at the time of publication for its frank language it was an instant best seller and remains beloved by both teens and adults read a character analysis of holden plot summary and important