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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
Main character is dislikeable and whining all the time
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
reflective
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
I feel like this book is an essential coming-of-age story, simply because it's so easy to read and conveys such deep emotions in an approachable way. That, and it's pretty funny. I obviously don't enjoy the culture of sexism in this book, but it's obviously a key part of growing up as a boy to realize that girls and women are separate from you in society in key ways.
I totally get the fear of growing up, of having to become an adult, something I don't feel like now or want to become. Childlike wonder and innocence is so precious, I wish I could just hold onto it forever. But I can't, that's not the nature of life.
I totally get the fear of growing up, of having to become an adult, something I don't feel like now or want to become. Childlike wonder and innocence is so precious, I wish I could just hold onto it forever. But I can't, that's not the nature of life.
emotional
reflective
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
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
adventurous
reflective
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
The voice of a depressed and repressed teenager, who flips the bird at anything and everything in the world except his little sister and his dead brother, is amusing to read. Sometimes it is funny, other times sad. Grief and loss are peppered throughout the book to pull the reader back in when the cynic in Holden Caulfield becomes too annoying to hang out with. All in all, it is a fun ride.
There were a couple of problems, though.
The most glaring issue is that the protagonist does not have any character growth. He ends the book as the same cynical, shallow teenager he started as. He has yet to learn about the complexity of the clockwork that is the world and to stop judging people without actually knowing them. Yes, at the end of the book, he says he misses his friends from Pencey he told us he hated, but that's just a couple of lines at the last page. That's not character growth. He did not go through any visible character development.
The other issue is the writing in general. The book is a first-person narrative of a under-educated teenager, and so many of the hiccups can be forgiven on the basis of serving the tone and the voice. But you can only ignore so many repetitions. After a while, it seems unedited and unpolished.
There were a couple of problems, though.
The most glaring issue is that the protagonist does not have any character growth. He ends the book as the same cynical, shallow teenager he started as. He has yet to learn about the complexity of the clockwork that is the world and to stop judging people without actually knowing them. Yes, at the end of the book, he says he misses his friends from Pencey he told us he hated, but that's just a couple of lines at the last page. That's not character growth. He did not go through any visible character development.
The other issue is the writing in general. The book is a first-person narrative of a under-educated teenager, and so many of the hiccups can be forgiven on the basis of serving the tone and the voice. But you can only ignore so many repetitions. After a while, it seems unedited and unpolished.
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
'He was a very good skater and all, but I couldn't enjoy it much because I kept picturing him practicing to be a guy on roller-skates on the stage.'
The Catcher in the Rye was chosen for September's #classiclitbookclub. This is my first time reading it, and I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about it. At first, I found Holden to be annoying, the story depressing, and there was a lot of overthinking. But as the book progressed and drew to a close, I started to understand why Holden narrates the way he does.
Holden seemed like a troubled teen still grappling with the death of his brother. His parents appeared more concerned about his academic failures than his emotional state. I suppose this is reflective of the time in which the book was written—mental health awareness was not as prevalent back then. Today, there are more resources available for teens going through similar struggles.
What really stood out to me was Holden's internal conflict—he’s trying to act like an adult when he clearly isn’t ready to let go of his childhood. He has no true friends; instead, he’s surrounded by acquaintances who tolerate him but don’t really understand him.
After reading a few other reviews, it’s clear that people either love or hate this book. As for me, I’m still on the fence, but I think if I read it again, I’d lean more toward ‘love’ than ‘hate.’
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced