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lizziertaft's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I was gifted this by my older sister when I was 18 and I never got around to reading it. She said it was intended to read before college, I didn’t understand until page 189. I found the words very comforting, unfortunately they came from a character who is suspect of preying on Holden sooo…He’s one of the many predators talked about in this book, to the point where I have to believe the author wanted us to understand how perverse men are.
The POV of Holden gets old quick. The book is slow and severely overrated. What many consider a classic, I think is just outdated and dull. I do have empathy for Holden and hope he found healing where it was he was getting help for at the end. He reminds me a lot of an old best friend I had, I’m convinced Holden was a Gemini moon.
The POV of Holden gets old quick. The book is slow and severely overrated. What many consider a classic, I think is just outdated and dull. I do have empathy for Holden and hope he found healing where it was he was getting help for at the end. He reminds me a lot of an old best friend I had, I’m convinced Holden was a Gemini moon.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexism, Cursing, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Grief, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Transphobia
harriet_dolby's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
2.0
Until the last 4 pages, I hated this book, I felt it such a slog despite it being only 230 pages long. I think the rreason why this book is so liked is the same reason why I don’t like it- the ‘teenage agnst’ which plagues the book. I feel now, that despite being 16, I would of enjoyed this book more when I was 10-13, although I wouldn’t have understood the more adult themes.
The main plot of this book is that a privilidged boy gets kicked out of his boarding school (his time at the boarding school was described using his favourite word in the first 50 pages… crumby- which I didn’t really get) and has to wait around for 3 days until he can go home for christmas- when the normal term time ends, so his parents don’t expect anything. During this time, he drinks a lot and visits some people from his past such as previous ex-girlfriends. He also tries to sleep with a sex worker but he gets too nervous and gets into trouble about it. The only parts I liked were hearing about him and his sister and when there are the symbolic moments- the catcher in the rye (the children are playing amongst the rye bales and in order to stop the children from falling off the cliff there is a catcher- the catcher in the rye which is symbolically what Holden relates to) and near the end when he feels himself falling everytime he crosses the road (in which he says that he is closer to his cousin, who has died- perhaps showing how due to his sleep deprivation, he questions his mortality, subsequently after this moment he undergoes some character development and spends more time with his sister and becomes more sympathetic to her).
My favourite quotes
-last line ‘dont ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody’
- a quote by the psycoanalyst- Wilhelm Stekel
‘The mark of the immature man is thathe wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one’
The main plot of this book is that a privilidged boy gets kicked out of his boarding school (his time at the boarding school was described using his favourite word in the first 50 pages… crumby- which I didn’t really get) and has to wait around for 3 days until he can go home for christmas- when the normal term time ends, so his parents don’t expect anything. During this time, he drinks a lot and visits some people from his past such as previous ex-girlfriends. He also tries to sleep with a sex worker but he gets too nervous and gets into trouble about it. The only parts I liked were hearing about him and his sister and when there are the symbolic moments- the catcher in the rye (the children are playing amongst the rye bales and in order to stop the children from falling off the cliff there is a catcher- the catcher in the rye which is symbolically what Holden relates to) and near the end when he feels himself falling everytime he crosses the road (in which he says that he is closer to his cousin, who has died- perhaps showing how due to his sleep deprivation, he questions his mortality, subsequently after this moment he undergoes some character development and spends more time with his sister and becomes more sympathetic to her).
My favourite quotes
-last line ‘dont ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody’
- a quote by the psycoanalyst- Wilhelm Stekel
‘The mark of the immature man is thathe wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one’
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Sexism
mme_carton's review against another edition
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
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 against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
sabrinalefebvre's review against another edition
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
5.0
2nd time reading:
At first, I was gonna give it a lower rating, maybe a 3.5 ⭐️. But I had too much fun annotating and analyzing this book. Finally understand it’s meaning and the underlying themes now that I’m older was truly magical.
At first, I was gonna give it a lower rating, maybe a 3.5 ⭐️. But I had too much fun annotating and analyzing this book. Finally understand it’s meaning and the underlying themes now that I’m older was truly magical.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Cursing
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Pedophilia, Cancer, and Violence
bellaiu's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Addiction and Drug use
nomatophobia's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
medium-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
You know that game where somebody gives you a prompt and you have to rant about it as if you had years worth of bottled up anger on the subject? That's how this book was written. In the end they try to make it seem like MainCharacter will stop being so pessimistic but it was said in a way that was so unsatisfying to me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Pedophilia, and Death
Minor: Homophobia
alisonnicholslol's review against another edition
emotional
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
1.25
Holden is a whiny bitch.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Moderate: Grief, Addiction, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Classism, and Death
grace_cr1's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexism, Alcohol, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Suicide, Vomit, Death, Alcoholism, Child death, Cursing, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Grief, Homophobia, Mental illness, and Cancer
naomistrom06's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Spoilers Ahead!!
Firstly, I wanna say that I read this as a teenager - which may affect the way I view this book. Holden is a very unlikeable character who hates everything and there is a repeating theme of: walking around New York, I hate this, memory, walking around, etc. But I was so interested in what Holden thought about everything and how he would reveal more about his life and memories to the reader. Some people feel like the beginning was too slow and unbearable to read. However, of course it is not as good as the ending, but I enjoyed how there wasn’t a point he was reaching or a goal he had in mind. I think that points towards the message of the book as well.
The teacher whom he stays with at the end of the book points of that Holden is headed towards a falling trajectory. Holden has been looking for something to hold onto and he just can’t find it.
I wasn’t until Holden spent time with his younger sister (one of the only people he has high regard for) and saw her playing on the carousel. The entire book the reader sees how depressed he is and how he hates everything. All of a sudden, he feels immense happiness.
I’m going to be completely honest, I cried so much that chapter. Seeing someone depressed thrn their lives around made me so emotional.
I am not depressed or anything, but I related to Holden’s point of view and gave me hope and motivation for my own future.
thanks for reading :)
Firstly, I wanna say that I read this as a teenager - which may affect the way I view this book. Holden is a very unlikeable character who hates everything and there is a repeating theme of: walking around New York, I hate this, memory, walking around, etc. But I was so interested in what Holden thought about everything and how he would reveal more about his life and memories to the reader. Some people feel like the beginning was too slow and unbearable to read. However, of course it is not as good as the ending, but I enjoyed how there wasn’t a point he was reaching or a goal he had in mind. I think that points towards the message of the book as well.
The teacher whom he stays with at the end of the book points of that Holden is headed towards a falling trajectory. Holden has been looking for something to hold onto and he just can’t find it.
I wasn’t until Holden spent time with his younger sister (one of the only people he has high regard for) and saw her playing on the carousel. The entire book the reader sees how depressed he is and how he hates everything. All of a sudden, he feels immense happiness.
I’m going to be completely honest, I cried so much that chapter. Seeing someone depressed thrn their lives around made me so emotional.
I am not depressed or anything, but I related to Holden’s point of view and gave me hope and motivation for my own future.
thanks for reading :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Misogyny, Addiction, Alcohol, Death, Drug use, Rape, Sexism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Bullying, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts