Reviews

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

beccabees's review against another edition

I found the unstructured complaints of a privileged, angsty teenager to be irritating. 

elisabeth7291's review against another edition

4.0

A book I initially loved, but when I reread it years later, I thought, "What's all the fuss?"

ddeblieck_13's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Read this book on the plane to/from vacation. This was actually the first book chosen for Big O Book Club, started when I was a Sr. at Olaf, and we made it through roughly 1/3 of the book before we all realized we read so much for classes that we hated doing it in our free time.  Finally came back to the book 7 years later.

I thought it was pretty good.  Deals with how teenagers/young adults deal with trauma, especially sexual trauma, and especially as they are about to enter adulthood.  It also deals a lot with the anxiety of growing up/loss of innocence/the worry that you may not ever find you place in the world (where do the ducks go?).

I probably read this a little too late.  I'm not sure anyone (just me?) totally loses that anxiety about growing up/old and what their place in the world will be.  But I think that anxiety grows a little quieter as you get older and start to figure it out.  High school Derek probably would've loved this book though.

Also hilarious that this book is so frequently banned by schools.  The South Park episode where everyone actually reads the book because they think it'll be crazy dirty and end up disappointed is very accurate.  There is really nothing other than language in this book.

Holden is also criticized by a lot of internet culture as being too whiny.  I have no idea what those people are reading.  Like what?  Did you even read the book?  

I also enjoyed the fact that this book didn't have any silly happy ending. 

It's unclear whether Holden will ever be ok.  It's unclear whether his mentor was actually trying to molest him or if he was simply showing affection to someone he clearly cared about in a slightly odd, very drunken way.  It's unclear whether Holden's brother will ever abandon Hollywood to write real novels like everyone around him believes him capable of.

Anyway, I liked it, but I would have probably enjoyed it a lot more if I'd read it 5-12 years ago (holy shit I'm old).

jshi13's review against another edition

adventurous sad medium-paced

• 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

3.0

laurene99's review against another edition

reflective fast-paced

• 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

2.0

martazr's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

notleyj's review against another edition

dark funny reflective sad medium-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

4.0

carrotts's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

4.25

queendust's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

megandanger's review against another edition

2.0

I read this book in high school and thought I was enjoying it...until I reached the end. It was the first time I ever shut a book, rolled my eyes and thought, "wow, that was the stupidest thing I've ever read." It's a lot of whining and griping, more than I would be able to tolerate from a friend, let alone a character I have no personal relationship with. Overall would not recommend but I wouldn't say it's the worst thing I ever read.