Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

146 reviews

evawertz's review

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is one of the few books where I felt like mental illness was shown from the perspective of the person experiencing the mental illness in a very accurate way. Holden's superiority complex is precisely how it is to have one in real life, you feel justified to point out everything you find wrong in people while excusing your even worse faults. You act rashly because everything seems to lack value and time zooms by or stretches on forever in your mind. Unlike most books, there's not a final destination or moment in someone's life that completes the book. The book is a snippet of the plain but complex days in someone's life. There is no happy or sad ending just a pause and let's see what happens. It portrays how life isn't a story with a perfect beginning to end and how you never know what's next.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Cursing, Alcohol, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Bullying, Child death, Death, Blood, Gore, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Violence

Moderate: Homophobia, Vomit, Abandonment, Sexual content, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Excrement, Vomit, and Addiction

teaskate's review against another edition

inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

The Book was fine.It was not a bad read but I did get a bit sleepy ,while reading it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Mental illness

Moderate: Racial slurs, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Suicide, Racism, and Sexism

bookedandbusy's review

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Love this book so much. I always have and I always will!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Suicide

Moderate: Homophobia

madisone's review

adventurous lighthearted tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Mental illness

Moderate: Suicide, War, and Homophobia

zaraha's review

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Bullying, Child death, Death, Grief, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

ktelles1's review

reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

michelleub's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

Sorry but Holden seemed so pretentious and annoying. Also the way he just also always had to call everyone a phony. He really needs therapy 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Violence

mme_carton's review

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

clairegannondorf's review

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

This book is widely known for its relatability of the character feeling bitter about people and the world, while also having the self righteousness most have during one’s teenage and young adult years.  Although I think this book has merit, I find it odd when grown adults identify this book as one of their all time favorites, or when someone claims that they feel akin to Holden. Holden is an extremely flawed character and has a narrow understanding of the depth of the people he knows.  He makes light of very serious things, which may not have been concerning when it was first published, but would be cause for concern if anyone said such things in today’s world. I think this book would be beneficial to read in college with more perspective, rather than assigning it to high school students who may relate to and even admire Holden and his thoughts. All that being said, J.D. Salinger perfectly captures teenage angst and the universal struggle to make sense of people and the world. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

malenaa14's review

adventurous dark emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

This is definitely the best classic novel I have read. I first read the description of this book and thought it would be something more cliché. But the interesting thing about this novel is that it doesn’t have a definite ending, it ends in the start of a young man’s life, —or not. Who knows? Holden Caulfield could’ve ended up killing himself or being valedictorian a month after writing the book and the reader wouldn’t even be surprised. The book might have some strings lose in terms of plot but it just adds to the mystery of the story and the confusion of growing up. The first page to the last sentence of The Catcher in the Rye keeps you hooked on the adventures of this angsty teenager figuring out his way through life, so much so that his story follows you forever. You will always be my best friend, Holden Caulfield.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Sexual content and Suicidal thoughts