The Catcher in the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salingerby J.D. Salinger
Shares rank 74 of 122 novels by recommenders
Recommended by readers who found it better on rereading as adults. One critic warns that readers often misread its narrator, Holden.
Recommended by readers who found it better on rereading as adults. One critic warns that readers often misread its narrator, Holden.
4 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 3
- criticize it
- 1
- approval share
- 75%
Recommended in 3 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 3 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 3 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 3 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Better on rereading as an adult
“books I liked more when I reread them as an adult”
Comment from 21 Aug 2026 in “I like 'em thick OR: an apology to my English teachers” Enjoyed by multiple readers
“I also really enjoyed the Catcher in the Rye”
Comment from 4 Jun 2026 in “French-Iranian author Marjane Satrapi, author of 'Persepolis', dies at 56”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Narrator Holden often misread
“I think Catcher in the Rye is dangerous as I have seen grown men misread Holden”
Comment from 7 Jul 2026 in “Dua Lipa opens library for banned and censored books in Portugal”
Other novels people recommend
The four most recommended other novels, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime and Punishmentby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 39 | 9 | 81% | 6 | — | Approved |
| The Brothers Karamazovby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 28 | 8 | 78% | 5 | — | Approved |
| Infinite Jestby David Foster Wallace | 26 | 5 | 84% | 9 | 10 yrs6 owners | Approved |
| The Great Gatsbyby F. Scott Fitzgerald | 24 | 9 | 73% | 6 | — | Approved |
| The Catcher in the Ryeby J.D. SalingerThis page | 3 | 1 | 75% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
3 of the 4 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“books I liked more when I reread them as an adult”
“I think Catcher in the Rye is dangerous as I have seen grown men misread Holden”
“I also really enjoyed the Catcher in the Rye”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.