Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

57 reviews

evakarolina's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Child death, Suicide, and Violence

sara_berlin's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Suicide, and Mental illness

Moderate: Violence, Homophobia, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Pedophilia, Lesbophobia, and Child abuse

evawertz's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Cursing, Alcohol, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Bullying, Child death, Death, Blood, Gore, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Violence

Moderate: Homophobia, Vomit, Abandonment, Sexual content, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Excrement, Vomit, and Addiction

xjr's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective fast-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

3.0

Holden is a true teenager. It was funny how he kept complaining about the phoniness of his peers as the way he viewed himself and the way he talked often came across as phony to me ! The book was a quick read, maybe cos I read him as a mostly chaotic fast talking/thinking teenager trying to be smooth while doing so. And as most of this is a reflective retelling of his little adventure most of the book was quick-paced in my reading (plus it's relatively short ~200 pages).

But as the book continued and more emotional highlights were put in the book (albeit often adressed lightheartedly or joking) I started to feel for him. Especially the last dozen pages were quite good, hopeful even.

That said, little actually happened but I enjoyed some the smaller details of Holden's character and life that I wish I could've seen more on. I think it works thematically with his personality and escapism, or yellowness so to say, to not delve into it purposefully. Doesn't mean I'm into that though...

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Cancer, Blood, Sexual assault, and Violence

michelleub's review against another edition

challenging dark tense 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

1.0

Sorry but Holden seemed so pretentious and annoying. Also the way he just also always had to call everyone a phony. He really needs therapy 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Violence

mme_carton's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

azrealia's review against another edition

challenging dark tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Suicide and Pedophilia

sabrinalefebvre's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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

2nd time reading: 
At first, I was gonna give it a lower rating, maybe a 3.5 ⭐️. But I had too much fun annotating and analyzing this book. Finally understand it’s meaning and the underlying themes now that I’m older was truly magical.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Cursing

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Pedophilia, Cancer, and Violence

lewskj's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Pedophilia, Cursing, and Misogyny

Moderate: Violence, Blood, Child death, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Minor: Terminal illness

tatianars's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Grief, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Alcohol, Child death, and Death