A review by samugranjo
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

dark emotional funny
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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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