Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

133 reviews

franzi_'s review against another edition

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informative reflective slow-paced
  • 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


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lawbooks600's review against another edition

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emotional medium-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

4.0

Representation: Minor Asian character
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.

It starts with the first character I see, Holden, who had to leave school after his expulsion and now the only action he can do is to wander around New York. He spends all of the narrative doing that and contemplating others, and, most importantly, himself. I was in Holden's mind throughout the fictional composition, and initially, I was disconnected from him and couldn't relate. I feared I wouldn't enjoy The Catcher in the Rye. Eventually, Holden grew on me and I liked it more and more. However, I still have gripes with it. A less repetitive writing style would've added to The Catcher in the Rye. The author could've put as much effort into the other characters as Holden. But he did not, making it difficult for me to connect or relate to them. For a novel over 200 pages, it's slow-paced. There isn't a genuine conclusion to The Catcher in the Rye, but I delighted myself in reading it nonetheless.

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jodar's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad slow-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

0.25

Some novels have engaging characters or an absorbing plot or are delightfully written. Some even have two or all three of these elements. But then there are novels like The Catcher in the Rye that has none of these features.

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.

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hannah_cogo's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced
  • 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


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atlasobi's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad 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

3.75

"Certain things they should stay the way they are. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone. I know that's impossible, but it's too bad anyway."

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
so glad at the reveal that he gets admitted to a mental hospital for a while tho like... you need help kid!
couldn't in good conscience recommend this to just anyone bc i know how much some people hate it lol but it's definitely worth a try imo !!

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cerebella's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective medium-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? It's complicated

4.5


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wrensandroses's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective fast-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

4.0


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countdraculahimself's review against another edition

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emotional funny sad fast-paced
  • 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

4.0


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zeraphyr's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

It started with a bit of a slouch (it wasn't to easy to adjust to 1940's New York slang at first), but I quickly found myself drawn to Salingers way of weaving the complex struggles of adolescence into the narrative through Holden's own conflicted perspective. And boy does he have a very strong perspective. 

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. 

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halaagmod's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective slow-paced
  • 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

3.0

I suppose for the time written, the contents in this book were groundbreaking and never seen before, and I can certainly appreciate the cultural significance that this book has had on Western literature and pop culture. However, in the era where much of the protagonist's antics are more-or-less seen as completely normal or expected teenage behavior, it falls flat in living up to its legacy and does little to give the reader anything entirely unique or of substance to chew on. There's little for me to dig my fangs into as far as analyzation since everything is just laid out for the reader (though this did help in English class; easiest A I've ever gotten on an assignment), and as far as an actual story, though it is dull and uneventful throughout the entire thing, it was still an enjoyable read thanks to Holden's pessimistic quips and the wonderful writing, hence my three star rating.

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