Ever since it was first published in 1951, this novel has been the coming-of-age story against which all others are judged. Read and cherished by generations, the story of Holden Caulfield is truly one of America's literary treasures.
塞林格将故事的起止局限于16岁的中学生霍尔顿·考尔菲德从离开学校到纽约游荡的三天时间内，并借鉴了意识流天马行空的写作方法，充分探索了一个十几岁少年的内心世界。愤怒与焦虑是此书的两大主题，主人公的经历和思想在青少年中引起强烈共鸣。