The Catcher In The Rye The catcher in the rye is a work of fiction and a tragic comedy. In the book, the main character, Holden Caultfield, tells us a story about what happened during his Christmas vacation. Holden is a sixteen-year-old boy who has flunked out of a private prep school. He doesn't want his parents to find it out, so he goes to a hotel in New York City instead of going home before the Christmas holidays start. In New York many things happen to him within a few days. He goes to several bars, trying to impress women and trying to find someone to spend some time with. He manages to