When first published, “The Catcher in the Rye” received both praise and criticism. Some critics appreciated Salinger’s unique narrative voice and the novel’s exploration of teenage angst and alienation, while others found it cynical and negative. The New York Times called it “an unusually brilliant novel”. Evolving attitudes towards language, sexuality, and authority, generational shifts, shifts in pedagogical approaches and the inclusion of diverse literary voices and media culture are some factors which considerably changed the entire perspective of the novel. Its status as a literary classic is secure, even as its reception continues to be re-evaluated by each new generation of readers and critics.