The Catcher in the Rye (1951)
0.2562Canon Score · ranked #42 all time
Aggregated from 8 of 14 authoritative lists, weighted by authority and adjusted for each list's scope and age. How scoring works →
About the book
Story of Holden Caufield with his idiosyncrasies, penetrating insight, confusion, sensitivity and negativism. Holden, knowing he is to be expelled from school, decides to leave early. He spends three days in New York City and tells the story of what he did and suffered there.
Why it ranks #42
Every list on which The Catcher in the Rye appears, with its position as published.
| List | Authority | Position |
|---|---|---|
| BBC Big Read Top 200 (2003) | Editorial list | #15 / 200 |
| PBS Great American Read (2018) | Editorial list | #21 / 100 |
| OCLC/WorldCat Top 500 Novels (2019) | Editorial list | #72 / 500 |
| Le Monde 100 Books of the Century | Critics' canon | #88 / 100 |
| Guardian 1000 Novels (2009) | Critics' canon | Selected |
| 1001 Books You Must Read (union) | Critics' canon | Selected |
| Bloom, The Western Canon (1994) | Editorial list | Selected |
| Telegraph 100 Novels (2009) | Editorial list | Selected |