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cjbrimmer's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
roache's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
couuboy's review against another edition
4.0
You look at the way some people talk so cocksurely about a piece of art and want to tell them, “Is that really the sum-total of your emotional cache?” But you know this would not be a kind thing to say, in fact, just thinking such a thought makes your neck a little hot with contrition upon realising the hypocrisy of your own uncharitability. Undeniably, you yourself have said things with just as much arrogance before. You think maybe you should try to find a conducive common ground with them from which maybe both of you can learn something; but you don’t have the time right now, it’s not the right place, etc., etc.
saltydough's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
liamb7's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
eventual_ghost's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
riotgrrrl's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
laurajc's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mallikadesai's review against another edition
4.0
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
12/30/2018
Time taken: about 5 hours (took awhile to get into and got distracted)
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)
So I just finished reading my first official book of my quest through the classics - The Catcher in the Rye and it was an interesting read. The Catcher in the Rye follows the inner thoughts of Holden Caulfield, a lonely, rebellious teenage boy as he wanders the streets of New York City, in search for truth.
I would describe Holden as that guy in the corner of every party, the one who stands alone, but who you can tell is silently observing and more importantly (to this book), judging every occurrence. The book basically takes the reader inside that guy’s mind and boy, can I tell you, it is a scary place - the mind of a teenage boy. Since the book is entirely told from Holden's point of view, the reader is embraced by every single thought (most are negative) that runs through this teenage boy's mind without a filter and in no particular order as he encounters various situations and people. That’s probably why it took me so long to really get into the book. He’d begin discussing how he felt about something (he has an opinion or judgement about every single aspect of life), and then digress onto another tangent. His being a teenage boy also means that he uses of language not for younger readers in his head and is in the rebellious stage of his life where he feels like he can do anything without consequences but doesn’t act upon his thoughts because he’s lazy (he’s basically all talk).
Because of the point of view, Holden’s narration covers some extremely deep, personal thoughts and feelings including loneliness, depression, denial, and (frequently) thoughts of death. He’s scarred by his brother Allie’s death but refuses to acknowledge it. His weakness and character flaw is that he is blinded by beauty. All of these elements humanize Holden as a character and for that, J.D. Salinger deserves a standing ovation.
Yet, Holden as a character isn’t always cynical. In fact, I think there is a light in him, buried deep under his denial and negativity which became apparent in his interactions with children. Especially when he is around Phoebe, his younger sister, the reader gets a glimpse into his tender, nonjudgemental side. When Phoebe asks him one night to think of a single that he likes a lot and what he wants to do as a career trying to prove that he was always negative about life, I was cheering. Finally, I thought, someone is trying to teach him some positivity. But that’s when I understood that he was misunderstood. Holden responds that he wants to be a “catcher in the rye”, a man who saves little children from falling off cliffs as they play in rye fields. Holden tries to acts tough but he’s human and even has a soft spot for children (and importantly, their well-being). He ends the book with the quote “Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody” (214) which basically summed up his character pretty well.
Irony was also a dominant literary element in The Catcher in the Rye that exposed several themes. For example, the book takes place in New York City, a city full of people, yet Holden is the loneliest he’s ever been - proving the saying that one can be lonely even in a crowded room. Another example of irony in the book is his hatred toward “phonies” - people who act like someone who they are not. Coming from Holden, who has negative opinions about everything but acts like he doesn’t, that’s hilarious, exposing another theme: one can never truly know what another person is thinking or feeling, even based on their actions. Holden seems to contradict himself a lot in a way that should be confusing but turns out to be so relatable that you end up knowing exactly how he feels and burst out laughing instead.
In summation, I think the reason this book is a classic is because its message is so relatable. We’ve all felt like Holden at least once in our life - alone, depressed, lost, in denial and wanting to do something crazy. There’s something so real about Holden that pulled me into New York City with him and made me laugh and internally weep in sorrow for him at the same time. On the other hand, to truly enjoy this book, the reader must be extremely patient and let the book carry the reader, not the other way around. However The Catcher in the Rye is worth the read and will leave you thinking.
Reading and analyzing this book is part of a goal, list or quest that I made and set for myself. See what it's all about on my simple (work in progress) website: https://theclassicslist.weebly.com and join me on my journey!