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scrabb1e 's review for:
The Catcher in the Rye
by J.D. Salinger
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Themes or characters that resonated with me: I can really relate to Holden's simultaneous desire for genuine connection but also isolation in the face of inauthenticity. He seems to value the authenticity that comes with innocence of youth. I wonder if Holden's attachment to these ideas is a result of him not having fully coped with the loss of his brother. He shows a care for kids with his sister and also his description of being a catcher in the rye. He also seems to want to form a connection with the couple of kids he meets at the museum while waiting for Phoebe. He also shows appreciation for the authenticity of the nuns he encounters. They have a real conversation with him as opposed to most others that he encounters that don't want to be bothered.
Emotions, thoughts, or memories it brought up in me: I felt a sense of relief that there wasn't a tragic ending. During the scene on the carousel I could feel the anxiety building that Phoebe was somehow going to meet a tragic end. Instead Holden just has a good time. He seems to feel a sense of relief, as I did as well, that he has found a moment to enjoy. I'm sure he wanted to freeze that moment in time, just as the things in the museum were always the same way. I think I can strongly empathize with Holden's inner dialogue and feeling of detachment due to the lack of real connection with anyone. I can relate to the disappointment he feels when someone he respects has let him down (Antolini). I have felt this multiple times, when a loved one has revealed a trait that changes how I feel about them. I think it was interesting the way Holden ends up saying he misses some people when they're not around, even if the "kill" him or he thinks they're phony when he's actually with them. The isolated feeling is relatable. This doesn't play into the analysis of the book but it is crazy that I was reading this book at the same time I had to put Allie down.
Opinion about the author or writing style: While reading this book the language flowed very naturally for me. It made it very easy to get through chapters quickly. The stream of consciousness just keeps flowing and its hard to put it down.
Favorite Passage:
"One thing about packing depressed me a little. I had to pack these brand-new ice skates my mother had practically just sent me a couple of days before. That depressed me. I could see my mother going in Spaulding's and asking the salesman a million dopy questions —and here I was getting the ax again. It made me feel pretty sad. She bought me the wrong kind of skates —I wanted racing skates and she bought hockey —but it made me sad any-way. Almost every time somebody gives me a present, it ends up making me sad."
This reminded me so much of the time my father packed a banana for me for school lunch, and it got squished in my backpack. I felt sad, and now more than 30 years later I still have a melancholy reaction thinking about it.
My ratings-
Writing Style: 90
Relatability: 95
Originality: 90
Personal impact: 85
Plot: 80
Emotions, thoughts, or memories it brought up in me: I felt a sense of relief that there wasn't a tragic ending. During the scene on the carousel I could feel the anxiety building that Phoebe was somehow going to meet a tragic end. Instead Holden just has a good time. He seems to feel a sense of relief, as I did as well, that he has found a moment to enjoy. I'm sure he wanted to freeze that moment in time, just as the things in the museum were always the same way. I think I can strongly empathize with Holden's inner dialogue and feeling of detachment due to the lack of real connection with anyone. I can relate to the disappointment he feels when someone he respects has let him down (Antolini). I have felt this multiple times, when a loved one has revealed a trait that changes how I feel about them. I think it was interesting the way Holden ends up saying he misses some people when they're not around, even if the "kill" him or he thinks they're phony when he's actually with them. The isolated feeling is relatable. This doesn't play into the analysis of the book but it is crazy that I was reading this book at the same time I had to put Allie down.
Opinion about the author or writing style: While reading this book the language flowed very naturally for me. It made it very easy to get through chapters quickly. The stream of consciousness just keeps flowing and its hard to put it down.
Favorite Passage:
"One thing about packing depressed me a little. I had to pack these brand-new ice skates my mother had practically just sent me a couple of days before. That depressed me. I could see my mother going in Spaulding's and asking the salesman a million dopy questions —and here I was getting the ax again. It made me feel pretty sad. She bought me the wrong kind of skates —I wanted racing skates and she bought hockey —but it made me sad any-way. Almost every time somebody gives me a present, it ends up making me sad."
This reminded me so much of the time my father packed a banana for me for school lunch, and it got squished in my backpack. I felt sad, and now more than 30 years later I still have a melancholy reaction thinking about it.
My ratings-
Writing Style: 90
Relatability: 95
Originality: 90
Personal impact: 85
Plot: 80