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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
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 😪
funny
reflective
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:
Complicated
adventurous
hopeful
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