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sydneyunyi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Suicide and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content
angelo_vossen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Moderate: Grief, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Suicide
rory_john14's review against another edition
- 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
2.5
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Alcoholism, Grief, Cursing, Alcohol, Suicide, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death, and Mental illness
Moderate: Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Cancer, Homophobia, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content, Pedophilia, Gun violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Vomit, Classism, Child abuse, Bullying, Racism, Gore, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Ableism, and Murder
literatureboysmelancholy's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Addiction, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Child death, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Cursing, Mental illness, and Cancer
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood
Minor: Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, and Vomit
franzi_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Suicide and Child death
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, and Addiction
lawbooks600's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Score: Seven points out of ten.
I wanted to read The Catcher in the Rye since I saw it circle my recommendations, and when I saw a library having this, I immediately wanted to pick it up. I couldn't glance at the blurb, since there was no blurb. However, I went in with high hopes. When I closed the final page, the book was enjoyable.
Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Racial slurs, Racism, Gun violence, and Alcohol
Full trigger warnings: Smoking, alcohol use, gun violence, racism, racist slurs, suicidal thoughts and suicide mentioned, emesisjodar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
I detested this so-called ‘great novel’ when I was compelled to read it as a teenager at secondary school. But that was decades ago, so when I mentioned my loathing recently and someone claimed it was well-written, I decided to read it again. But no, I didn’t find it well-written either: probably because it is a first-person narrative of a puerile, self-absorbed, cynical adolescent, the writing reflects that too.
To be clear, I have enjoyed novels whose MC is unattractive and selfish. But for me there needs to be something else for the novel to be ‘great’, moving, impactful and absorbing – some wider perspective, perhaps, or beautiful writing or something.
Yes, I understand that the MC, Holden Caulfield, is grieving for his dead brother, estranged from his parents and is grappling with the anguish of a teenager growing up. But his deep cynicism of everything, shallow appreciation of others, selfishness and general sordidness in thought and word is just plain ugly and unappealing. The MC only shows a bit of human warmth towards his younger sister, and even then he struggles not to be a selfish moron. (Now, if the MC had been his sister instead – she comes across as a sensible, decent human being – with a disturbed older brother to cope with, that might have been a ‘great novel’).
In short, I still regard this novel as the ‘type specimen’ of a largely meritless novel that some others regard as superlative for reasons I can’t really understand.
Or in words Holden might use: The MC is such a pain in the arse and phony sonuvabitch who annoys the hell out of me. The whole novel is a dumb, stinking goddam story that makes me want to puke.
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Cursing, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexual content, Child death, Suicide, and Panic attacks/disorders
hannah_cogo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Blood, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, and Child death
Moderate: Suicide, Cursing, Grief, Physical abuse, Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Alcohol, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Addiction, Pedophilia, Homophobia, Incest, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Sexual content
atlasobi's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
i can see why some people wouldn't like this book, but honestly i think i love it for those same reasons. the catcher in the rye is an angsty coming of age novel about holden caulfield, a teenager struggling with depression & growing up in the 1950s. holden's smart but unable to apply himself, he feels alone and struggles connecting with other people, and he's desperately clinging to his childhood as everything, even he himself, is changing. yeah he's whiny and depressed and lonesome (rip bozo), but who wasn't at 16 lmao
Graphic: Suicide, Death, Blood, Mental illness, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Cancer and Child death
cerebella's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Suicide