Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - The Catcher in the Rye

The suicidal urges, the violent thoughts, the hate he’s internalized for himself— people around him— the world— the impulses, the urge to just make things worse. He’s miserable. There’s just this glimmer of hope and love that keeps him hanging on. And I understand why some people think all of these thoughts are unrealistic… but as someone living With depression… it’s the most realistic thing I’ve ever read. This book is so important to me. I only wish it didn’t come from the point of view of a terribly sexist kid. But it does. So it’s complicated. But it’s important.

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sara_berlin's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious 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

2.5

In one word: overrated.
I can admit that it wasn’t as terrible as I thought at the start, but it’s definitely not a masterpiece or one of the best books ever. Honestly I considered dnfing it but I wanted to finish it so I could a) say I’ve read it and b) properly trash it.

If this was released today and critiqued as a piece of literature, I don’t think it would get good reviews. I will never understand how this is some people’s favorite book.
The actual process of reading it was not fun and not worth what little I got out of it. Sure, there’s some interesting (although in my opinion pretty basic) reflections, and Holden is a somewhat interesting character, but beyond that, there wasn’t much substance.
I feel like if it was at least fun to read I would’ve given it a pass for not have any like “lesson” or “deep meaning”, although I would still not consider it one of the best books of all time. I probably just have very high standards for classics, I mean something had to make it so popular and everlasting. but this was not that good. Honestly I only actually liked the last part, but the rest of the book was quite a bore. I dunno, I kind of get the point of it, but it wasn’t for me.

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evawertz's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

5.0

This book is one of the few books where I felt like mental illness was shown from the perspective of the person experiencing the mental illness in a very accurate way. Holden's superiority complex is precisely how it is to have one in real life, you feel justified to point out everything you find wrong in people while excusing your even worse faults. You act rashly because everything seems to lack value and time zooms by or stretches on forever in your mind. Unlike most books, there's not a final destination or moment in someone's life that completes the book. The book is a snippet of the plain but complex days in someone's life. There is no happy or sad ending just a pause and let's see what happens. It portrays how life isn't a story with a perfect beginning to end and how you never know what's next.

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bella_mckinnon's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective tense 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

Was initially very dismissive and judgemental because Holden comes off as this angsty and cynical kid which I found annoying, but upon further reading I came to really appreciate his character.

Particularly his honesty, that his goodness does kind of shine underneath and in a subtle way, like how he hated how people yelled “Digression” at the kids who were really nervous or really excited about their oral exam topics, or how he’d rub off all the “Fuck you” lines that were written on walls because some kids might see them and be confronted by it or ruminate about it. He’s not a terrible person, to me. He’s a depressed teenager and as is common with depressed teens, particularly depressed teen boys, it’s manifesting as angst and cynicism.

But, I really came to appreciate Holden’s character. I realised that how he is reminded me of how I was between the ages of 14 and 16. Edgy, angsty, cynical but very depressed. I kind of ‘got it’ after a while and enjoyed reading more.

I had to look past my initial prejudices of him being whiny though. Once done, it was a great book to me. 5/5 would read again and again.

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mme_carton's review against another edition

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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

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nomatophobia's review against another edition

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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.

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malenaa14's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

This is definitely the best classic novel I have read. I first read the description of this book and thought it would be something more cliché. But the interesting thing about this novel is that it doesn’t have a definite ending, it ends in the start of a young man’s life, —or not. Who knows? Holden Caulfield could’ve ended up killing himself or being valedictorian a month after writing the book and the reader wouldn’t even be surprised. The book might have some strings lose in terms of plot but it just adds to the mystery of the story and the confusion of growing up. The first page to the last sentence of The Catcher in the Rye keeps you hooked on the adventures of this angsty teenager figuring out his way through life, so much so that his story follows you forever. You will always be my best friend, Holden Caulfield.

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grace_cr1's review against another edition

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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

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