Catcher in the Rye: How does to author keep audiences engaged?

In this novel, there was a strange-sort-of suspense that kept me reading.  It was not like action-like or mystery-like suspense, but it was suspense none the less.  The suspense of not knowing why Holden was in the "home" or whatever kept me glued to the book.  I wanted to know what led up to him being there because at the beginning he seemed like a somewhat normal kid. It drove me insane that Holden was taking so long to tell the story, but I still read it until the end.

Another factor that made the audience engage into it was Salinger's portrayal of Holden.  He created a character with such a great voice, which would technically be Salinger's voice.  The voice in this novel was so strong and so easy to read because it was like reading a story that your friend wrote.   It was a casual story with casual dialect and it was enjoyable to read.  Humor also is a quiet factor in the novel.  For me, it was funny to read some of Holden's comments.  I found his cynasism somewhat funny and that kept me interested in the novel because I never got bored.  The way he would hate on the snooty piano player Ernie was humorous.  Also the way he made fun of the three girls that were in the bar made me laugh a time or two.  His comments were silly, even though he may have been trying to come across seriously.  The slight humerous tone made this novel way easier to read than a boring serious one.  Yet, the serious parts in this novel were quite engaging as well.  When Holden would talk to Phoebe and they would connect it was a great moment.  The way they understood each other was interesing and made the reader engaged because finally something good was happening to Holden.

There was also some irony in the novel that kept readers reading.  Holden hated all these phony people, yet he would be quite phony sometimes.  He pretended to be a tough guy when Maurice was threatening him, and he is actually a coward.  In that situation, it might be okay, but that was not the only time.  He was friends with Ackley even though he found him very irritating.  He hung out with him although he did not like him very much, and that seems very phony to me.  He also tried to be with Sally Hayes although he knew that he did not like her very much.  He knew they would not be compatable, yet he tried to be with her.  That seemed very phony as well.  I thought that this irony gave the story a little twist because he is supposed to be hating the phonies, not be one of them.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. Print.