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berratrixie's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Cursing and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Death, Gore, Violence, Abandonment, Child death, and Blood
Minor: Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Cancer, Vomit, Alcoholism, and Terminal illness
emisbooks's review
- 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
the language/writing style is very 1950's. i enjoyed the writing style but also found the constant repetition of the words goddamn, old, phony, and lousy quite frustrating. however i realise this is likely a stylistic choice as holden is a teenage boy with a seemingly limited vocabulary.
i found holden's character annoying, but that's kind of the point. he thinks hes maturer than he is and often makes stupid decisions that get him in a complete mess which was quite interesting to read. he's just a stupid teenage boy trying to conquer a big city with no real plan.
this book didn't have much of a plot and was far more character driven which i don't mind. the story is mostly just holden experiencing new york, pondering on his past and observing the world. it's also very fast paced with short chapters.
i didn't like how women were portrayed in this book. whilst it was published in the 50s and holden is a teenage boy, i felt like the women only served as meaningless plot devices that were either sex obsessed or "phony."
overall: solid 3.5 stars. good character driven story. writing style is part infuriating and part interesting. i'd recommend if you need a quick literary fiction read.
Moderate: Death
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
mskingbean69'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
Minor: Sexual content, Terminal illness, Child death, Abandonment, Bullying, Violence, Death, Grief, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, and Mental illness
hannah_cogo's review
- 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
maddalenacesco's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Alcoholism, Death, Alcohol, Bullying, and Cursing
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
wrensandroses'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
4.0
Graphic: Grief, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Blood, Mental illness, and Sexism
Moderate: Violence, Suicide, Homophobia, Child death, Death, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Cancer, Terminal illness, Trafficking, and Vomit
zeraphyr'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? It's complicated
4.0
While Holden is certainly a very... idiosyncratic character (he's a bit of a dick, quick to pass judgment on others whilst falling short of identifying the same flaws in himself sometimes), he's also a character that's very true to the adolescent struggle of failing to fit in. To find a purpose in a world that places a lot of restrictions upon people while growing up. And how in trying to rebel against the confines of adulthood and this sense of alienation from ourselves, we can get lost just as well as when we're giving in.
There's a lot of other interesting themes and often dark topics (like sexual assault and trauma) that get brought up, but this one resonated with me the most.
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexual assault, Vomit, Death, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Child death, Sexual content, and Child abuse
meowingaround'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
4.5
Minor: Death