Dear Reader, J.D. Salinger's novel, The Catcher in the Rye, has both delighted and insulted readers for years. Its allure is obvious to some, elusive to others. While at times I want to embrace Holden and do what I can to aid him through his coming of age, at other times I find myself agreeing with those who can't stand his narcissistic complaining about the over-privileged world in which he lives. On the following pages I explore the love-hate relationship that readers have had with the novel for over fifty years.