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Reviews tagging 'Grief'
L'attrape-coeurs by Jerome David Salinger by J.D. Salinger, J.D. Salinger
112 reviews
funny
reflective
sad
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 Catcher in the Rye is the story of Holden Caulfield’s long weekend as a truant in New York City. Along the way he meets a cast of exotic characters including prostitutes, old classmates, and regrettable flings. He’s desperate to act more mature than his age, getting drunk in bars and flirting with older women, but the veneer is thin, and money is short so he soon has to return home to his parents and younger sister. The novel handles a lot of heavy themes such as grief, sexuality, adolescence, and depression, so I can see why it has become a canonical text.
I, unfortunately, hated it.
Most of the praise I’ve seen for the novel talks about the authentic portrayal of teenage angst that Salinger demonstrates throughout, praising the use of simplistic and repetitive language to contrast the mature themes. There’s the sense that Holden is every disenchanted youth looking to find himself and escape the constraints of school facing the realities of life.
Ultimately, I don’t think this is necessarily incorrect; I think my main issue with the novel is that Holden is /so/ sixteen and I am not. I think I’m too old (a morbid thought at 23) to really appreciate what the story is saying about youth and teenagerhood, and instead Holden just comes across as grating and immature. I don’t see him as an endearingly naïve protagonist growing into himself, but an insufferable child who learns little from his mistakes. The lack of overt growth by the end of the novel is a subversion of the coming-of-age genre and I feel that the story is the worse for it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Homophobia, Grief, Alcohol
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
in all honesty i did mistakenly purchase this thinking this was a different classic, stupidly of me icl but yea, whoops.
idk if i would recommend this book if i am honest. if i could tier rank it, it feels like a c/d at best.
if you aren't into having to read in between certain things or picking up on vibes then skip they're are better classics and books in general, no shade.
i am happy to have read it cause i can now say i have so a win regardless.
SPOILERS AHEAD
it did take me a minute or 2 to properly get into it (mainly because of holden's character). at first he felt like a whiny brat, but the more i read the more i started to see certain traits that made his mental state and actions make sense and then the story felt more meaningful (kinda). whilst i had no idea of where it was going, that is representative of holden and his position.
some people don't function the same as the "perfect" cookie cutter folk and when you don't it can make you feel alone and miserable which i do see in holden. his lack of genuine relationships (outside of his sister and brother/s) just goes to show, not only how lonely he is, but also vulnerable to dangerous folk fr.
thank god for phoebe the little angel (i fear she is me).
idk if i would recommend this book if i am honest. if i could tier rank it, it feels like a c/d at best.
if you aren't into having to read in between certain things or picking up on vibes then skip they're are better classics and books in general, no shade.
i am happy to have read it cause i can now say i have so a win regardless.
SPOILERS AHEAD
it did take me a minute or 2 to properly get into it (mainly because of holden's character). at first he felt like a whiny brat, but the more i read the more i started to see certain traits that made his mental state and actions make sense and then the story felt more meaningful (kinda). whilst i had no idea of where it was going, that is representative of holden and his position.
some people don't function the same as the "perfect" cookie cutter folk and when you don't it can make you feel alone and miserable which i do see in holden. his lack of genuine relationships (outside of his sister and brother/s) just goes to show, not only how lonely he is, but also vulnerable to dangerous folk fr.
thank god for phoebe the little angel (i fear she is me).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Grief
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Those that get it, get it. Oh, and i get it. I read it in high school the first time and I related to Holden so much at the time. Rereading this as an adult, about 10 years later, it remains near and dear to my heart and i have a better understanding of it. It brought tears to my eyes. I cant even put into words what is going on through my mind about this book right now. Makes you think about grief, internal struggles, and growing up. But seriously, if it doesnt hit for you the first time, take a look at some analysis videos of it or try to reread it in the future. It doesnt deserve all the hate it gets.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Grief, Alcohol
3.5-ish? I'd heard so many good things that I suppose my expectations were too high. We follow Holden around as he dodges school and family members (except his sister), but being in the head of Holden Caulfield is an odyssey in itself. While it had some good lines, it felt a bit TOO slow for me most of the time. That said, I might pick it up again someday to see if I feel different.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Grief
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Holden Caulfield you will always be famous but have you considered Adderall XR
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Cursing, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this in high school and it was the first time I had ever seen my depression represented in any media. I felt so seen, and realized I wasn't the only person on the planet walking around feeling awful without an "obvious reason." It was the first spark that got me looking into improving my mental health, which at the time was even more stigmatized than it is today. I hold a special place in my heart for the character Holden Caulfield for helping me with that.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Grief
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gun violence
Moderate: Cancer, Alcohol, Classism
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, Confinement, Gore, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Sexual harassment, War
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Violence, Grief
Moderate: Pedophilia, Vomit, Sexual harassment
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Mental illness, Grief
Minor: Bullying, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Violence, Vomit
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
my ap lit teacher LOVED holden caulfield, but he really annoyed the shit out of me.
yes, i'm aware that's the point and i get why he's totally terrible to deal with. i liked the general message and ideas of the story, and i loved analyzing it for class. it was just hard to read about holden being a menace for almost 300 pages without reprieve. the book also rambled a bit, but overall it was good enough. not a total work of life-changing art, but good.
phoebe, ily girl.
yes, i'm aware that's the point and i get why he's totally terrible to deal with. i liked the general message and ideas of the story, and i loved analyzing it for class. it was just hard to read about holden being a menace for almost 300 pages without reprieve. the book also rambled a bit, but overall it was good enough. not a total work of life-changing art, but good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
Moderate: Abandonment