Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

L'attrape-coeurs by Jerome David Salinger by J.D. Salinger, J.D. Salinger

144 reviews

angelo_vossen's review against another edition

3.25

adventurous dark reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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"The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger is a novel that has sparked intense debates and discussions since its publication in 1951. Set in the 1950s, it follows the story of Holden Caulfield, a disenchanted teenager expelled from his prep school as he navigates through the streets of New York City over a few days. Through Holden's first-person narrative, readers are taken on a journey through his inner thoughts, observations, and encounters, providing a raw and unfiltered glimpse into the mind of a troubled adolescent.

Salinger's writing style, characterized by its colloquial language and stream-of-consciousness technique, immerses readers in Holden's world, allowing them to experience his disillusionment, loneliness, and search for authenticity alongside him. The novel's title, inspired by a misinterpretation of a Robert Burns poem, reflects Holden's desire to protect the innocence of childhood—a theme that permeates the story as he grapples with the complexities of growing up in a world he perceives as phony and corrupt.

Holden Caulfield has been both celebrated and criticized as a protagonist. Some readers sympathize with his struggles and appreciate his honesty, while others find him to be whiny, self-absorbed, and unreliable. His cynicism and tendency to criticize the people and society around him can be off-putting to some readers, leading to divided opinions about his likability and relatability. I certainly am more on the critics‘ side. As far as I am concerned, Holden Caulfield is kind of hypocritical and pretentious. While complaining about everything being phony, he himself acts like a brat throwing money out of the window left and right.

Even though Holden Caulfield as a character aggregated me quite a lot, I have to admit that J.D. Salinger achieved to portray him as a caring brother. Despite his pretentious behaviour and tendency to be quite annoying at times, he shows to care a lot about the people he loves, especially his siblings. I even felt sorry for him during some parts of the book, because the lasting grief and sadness he faces due to his little brother‘s death comes through strongly between the lines.

I caught myself thinking that the character should try therapy once in a while to learn how to cope with all his struggles, so I was glad to realize he seems to be in a mental health clinic during the entirety of the novel while telling the reader about his crazy days.

The novel's exploration of themes such as alienation, identity, and the loss of innocence resonates with many readers, especially adolescents grappling with similar issues. Holden's quest for authenticity and his resistance to societal norms and expectations strike a chord with those who have felt out of place or disillusioned with the world around them.

However, "The Catcher in the Rye" is not without its flaws. Critics have pointed out its repetitive narrative, lack of plot development, and the meandering nature of Holden's thoughts, which can make it a challenging read for some. Additionally, its use of dated language and cultural references may distance modern readers and limit its relevance to contemporary audiences. I did not mind the language used in the novel too much. It definitely fit the time the book was published in and set the tone for the main character quite well.

Despite its shortcomings, "The Catcher in the Rye" appears to remain a significant work in literature, influencing countless writers and resonating with generations of readers as research allows me to say. Its exploration of the universal themes of adolescence, identity, and the search for meaning continues to make it a relevant and thought-provoking read for those willing to delve into the mind of Holden Caulfield and confront the complexities of youth and growing up. That‘s what it is in the end: A story about an adolescent who is being confused and lost in life and who is trying to figure out their own role in this world while doing reckless teenage stuff.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Grief, Lesbophobia

Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Alcohol

rory_john14's review against another edition

2.5

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Alcohol

Moderate: Cancer, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Violence

Minor: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Abandonment, Classism

literaryboysmelancholy's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief, Suicide attempt, Alcohol

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood

Minor: Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Vomit

hannah_cogo's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional informative reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts

maddalenacesco's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: N/A

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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teenage misanthropist who grew up in a silver-spoon gated community.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol

wrensandroses's review against another edition

4.25

dark emotional reflective fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Grief, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Death, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence

Minor: Cancer, Terminal illness, Vomit, Trafficking

seanml's review against another edition

4.5

funny 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

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Excellent. A kid on the verge of growing into a young adult tells us all about how the world works. Everyone is annoying - either they're sad and pathetic to think about. Or they're phony; so full of themselves. Every except Holden - Holden who hates movies more than anything but sometimes goes to watch them. Holden who knows all about how women work because he's decided how they work before he even says hello. Holden does have a lot of beautiful points to make about the world - they're just not the ones he intends. 9/10.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Alcohol

Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Blood, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting

matilde66's review against another edition

4.25

dark emotional funny reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia

Minor: Child death, Sexual content, Blood, Vomit

samugranjo's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional funny

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I know this book is known as a 'red flag' read and although I can see how it could be taken out of context and made into a shrine for thinking everyone else is fake and everything sucks. However, while reading this the only thing I could think of was how lonely and depressed Holden was, how much unprocessed guilt he had and how lost he seemed. Yes, it is full of teenage angst, because we are seeing the world through the eyes of a kid that just once again gave up on school and continuously fails to find joy in the world around him.
Although some of the middle part was a bit dull, this book and the Bell Jar are, in my opinion, some of the best portrayals of depression I have ever read and I need to give credit when credit is due.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Suicide, Grief

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol

Minor: Pedophilia

wuthrinheights's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I first picked up this book when I was a teenager and I loved it since. It was the first classic book I read that wasn't assigned in class. And that was the birth of my love for classics. Reading it again in my 20's, it's even better than when I first met him. 

Holden was witty and observant, sarcastic, and the biggest hater you've ever met. His narration was often so comical, I kept giggling or literally laughing out loud with tears in my eyes. Really, he killed me. 

But as you read on, this story of his account of spending the night alone in New York City, in between meeting all kinds of people in his life who happened to be available to meet him that night, while his memories weaved in and out, and he tried his hardest to hang on, your heart gets broken piece by piece. Holden's voice will stay with you and you can't shake him out. 

A full 5 stars for me. Heck, I'd give 6 out of 5 stars if I could. This is my favourite book and it holds a special place in my heart for it. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Sexual harassment