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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
I know that most people have strong reactions to this book. It seems to either be adored or abhorred. I somewhat expected to hate it, if I’m perfectly honest. I didn’t expect to feel rather ambivalent about it all though. It’s rare for me to feel totally “meh” about a “classic” novel, because I just tend to have strong opinions.
I didn’t hate Holden though. I wouldn’t want to have to deal with him, but I understood why he was how he was. The trauma of your brother dying, and being sent away to school, taking you away from your baby sister who you love, would be a really horrible thing for any teenager to deal with. It seems Holden’s parents didn’t think too hard about that little issue… and the way Holden puts it, they don’t think about him very much at all. I don’t think that’s entirely true, but he is really alienated from his family, his peers and the adults who are trying to guide him. His bursting into tears whilst under pressure shows that there’s more going on underneath this cynical exterior.
Holden is really the biggest “phony” in the novel, and that’s pretty much the point, or so it seemed to me. He’s extremely hypocritical; for example, swearing in front of his sister, then getting angry that someone wrote swear words on the school wall… as if that’s somehow different. He’s obsessed with innocence, yet he isn’t innocent himself.
I just didn’t really care about what happened all that much, I didn’t care if Holden went home or went to Seattle or whatever. It all just fell flat and I was thrilled to finally reach the end of the book. I don’t think that that’s really the best impression a book could have.
I didn’t hate it, I didn’t love it, I don’t think I am Holden or that he’s a useless whiner. It is what it is, and that is definitely not the book for me.
I didn’t hate Holden though. I wouldn’t want to have to deal with him, but I understood why he was how he was. The trauma of your brother dying, and being sent away to school, taking you away from your baby sister who you love, would be a really horrible thing for any teenager to deal with. It seems Holden’s parents didn’t think too hard about that little issue… and the way Holden puts it, they don’t think about him very much at all. I don’t think that’s entirely true, but he is really alienated from his family, his peers and the adults who are trying to guide him. His bursting into tears whilst under pressure shows that there’s more going on underneath this cynical exterior.
Holden is really the biggest “phony” in the novel, and that’s pretty much the point, or so it seemed to me. He’s extremely hypocritical; for example, swearing in front of his sister, then getting angry that someone wrote swear words on the school wall… as if that’s somehow different. He’s obsessed with innocence, yet he isn’t innocent himself.
I just didn’t really care about what happened all that much, I didn’t care if Holden went home or went to Seattle or whatever. It all just fell flat and I was thrilled to finally reach the end of the book. I don’t think that that’s really the best impression a book could have.
I didn’t hate it, I didn’t love it, I don’t think I am Holden or that he’s a useless whiner. It is what it is, and that is definitely not the book for me.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'll say it was about 4.5 stars, but I'll round up.
First off, this is not at all what I was expecting from "an American classic." I was readying myself for another To Kill a Mockingbird or Animal Farm—something beautifully written with sweet, underlying themes and metaphors. Instead, I got a story with a blunt meaning, told in the point of view of a teenager who is both simultaneously hateful and apathetic towards life, and who doesn't know how to stop repeating himself. The writing is somehow terrible, but ground breaking, innovating, and oddly beautiful all at once.
This story is about a rich teenage boy who hates school and all of human behavior. Salinger focuses on three days of this boy's life, in which he goes on a random but somehow meaningful adventure. The reader is thrust into our own world under the scrutiny of a youthful cynic, forced to look upon the stupidity, hypocrisy, and dishonesty of our world.
This story is filled with life lessons and oddly meaningful scenarios that are not just blatantly spelled out for you, but screamed at you through the wonderfully weird tone of the writing. The story itself, when looked at as a whole, is ludicrous, but in the eyes of the narrator, it seems as though it is the most important tale you may ever read.
The only downfall I saw was the ending of the story, in which I found myself wishing more loose ends were tied up and less problems were created than what occurred. But, as I say this, I must admit I do not entirely understand the significance of the ending, and realize that if I were to give it more thought in a literary standpoint, it may have a more meaningful impact than I originally assumed.
All in all, this was a terrific read that must be read by all. It has the rare quality that many books lack: impacting you in some shape or form, whether you'd like it to or not.
First off, this is not at all what I was expecting from "an American classic." I was readying myself for another To Kill a Mockingbird or Animal Farm—something beautifully written with sweet, underlying themes and metaphors. Instead, I got a story with a blunt meaning, told in the point of view of a teenager who is both simultaneously hateful and apathetic towards life, and who doesn't know how to stop repeating himself. The writing is somehow terrible, but ground breaking, innovating, and oddly beautiful all at once.
This story is about a rich teenage boy who hates school and all of human behavior. Salinger focuses on three days of this boy's life, in which he goes on a random but somehow meaningful adventure. The reader is thrust into our own world under the scrutiny of a youthful cynic, forced to look upon the stupidity, hypocrisy, and dishonesty of our world.
This story is filled with life lessons and oddly meaningful scenarios that are not just blatantly spelled out for you, but screamed at you through the wonderfully weird tone of the writing. The story itself, when looked at as a whole, is ludicrous, but in the eyes of the narrator, it seems as though it is the most important tale you may ever read.
The only downfall I saw was the ending of the story, in which I found myself wishing more loose ends were tied up and less problems were created than what occurred. But, as I say this, I must admit I do not entirely understand the significance of the ending, and realize that if I were to give it more thought in a literary standpoint, it may have a more meaningful impact than I originally assumed.
All in all, this was a terrific read that must be read by all. It has the rare quality that many books lack: impacting you in some shape or form, whether you'd like it to or not.
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
How is this a classic? I had to force myself to finish.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
sad
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
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
When I read this as a teenager I thought it was fascinating and very relevant. In re-reading it as an adult it didn't hold up. I kept trying to keep in perspective that this book was written in 1945.
inspiring
relaxing
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
2.95/5.
i was really about to give this book a solid 2/5, but the ending saved it. i read this book back in 7th grade and it's been a while so i gave it another shot. gooood was this book irritating! holden is so annoying and so repetitive and hypocritical. he wonders why people act so negatively towards him, but he's not a good person. i wouldn't want to hang around him and i'm his own age. back when i first read it i'm pretty sure i was in love with him, but being in a different mindset (and being sick) made this a really depressing read.
i loved his and phoebe's relationship the most, i really looked forward to that part of the book granted it was towards the second half of it. and i almost only reread it for the part with mr. antolini but when i got to that part it pissed me off so much. calm down!! he was probably just worried about you "for chrissake!!"
also i didn't annotate this book as much as my other ones and that's a sign. i only dogeared about 3 pages which is nothing compared to the damage i could do if i liked the book. i dunno, maybe this'll be an annual thing? im almost convinced to reread it right now but i want to save myself a headache. sorry. [a:J.D. Salinger|819789|J.D. Salinger|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1288777679p2/819789.jpg][bc:The Catcher in the Rye|7178|The Catcher in the Rye|J.D. Salinger|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1554406349s/7178.jpg|3036731]
--
third time's a charm, amirite???
Reading it over again, I wonder if I even read it the first two times. And I don't mean it in I missed the meaning, I mean it in that I found one of the delights of this story is that I can read it over again a thousand times and still be shocked by the mayhem Holden gets himself into. Now that I can say I've analyzed and studied the book as I read it has helped me shape a more informed opinion on it and I can say that it's great for a reason. While I can't quite say it's one of my favorites, I can say I read it at a time parallel to Holden's where I can relate to his struggles and fears and that has impacted my reading experience immensely.
3.5/5 stars.
—
4th update: this book is a FIVE OUT OF FIVE i don’t understand my contentions at all.
i literally reread this book as much as i can and it’s “not a favorite” ??? ridiculous, i am. i love holden more than life. i’d only read this book if it came down to it.
i was really about to give this book a solid 2/5, but the ending saved it. i read this book back in 7th grade and it's been a while so i gave it another shot. gooood was this book irritating! holden is so annoying and so repetitive and hypocritical. he wonders why people act so negatively towards him, but he's not a good person. i wouldn't want to hang around him and i'm his own age. back when i first read it i'm pretty sure i was in love with him, but being in a different mindset (and being sick) made this a really depressing read.
i loved his and phoebe's relationship the most, i really looked forward to that part of the book granted it was towards the second half of it. and i almost only reread it for the part with mr. antolini but when i got to that part it pissed me off so much. calm down!! he was probably just worried about you "for chrissake!!"
also i didn't annotate this book as much as my other ones and that's a sign. i only dogeared about 3 pages which is nothing compared to the damage i could do if i liked the book. i dunno, maybe this'll be an annual thing? im almost convinced to reread it right now but i want to save myself a headache. sorry. [a:J.D. Salinger|819789|J.D. Salinger|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1288777679p2/819789.jpg][bc:The Catcher in the Rye|7178|The Catcher in the Rye|J.D. Salinger|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1554406349s/7178.jpg|3036731]
--
third time's a charm, amirite???
Reading it over again, I wonder if I even read it the first two times. And I don't mean it in I missed the meaning, I mean it in that I found one of the delights of this story is that I can read it over again a thousand times and still be shocked by the mayhem Holden gets himself into. Now that I can say I've analyzed and studied the book as I read it has helped me shape a more informed opinion on it and I can say that it's great for a reason. While I can't quite say it's one of my favorites, I can say I read it at a time parallel to Holden's where I can relate to his struggles and fears and that has impacted my reading experience immensely.
3.5/5 stars.
—
4th update: this book is a FIVE OUT OF FIVE i don’t understand my contentions at all.
i literally reread this book as much as i can and it’s “not a favorite” ??? ridiculous, i am. i love holden more than life. i’d only read this book if it came down to it.
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
He’s just like me fr 😪