Review by pbraue13 - The Catcher in the Rye

pbraue13 's review for:

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

4.0

emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

"Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody."

This has always held a special place in my heart. I remember first reading it in English class and being heartbroken when so many of my classmates dismissed Holden Caulfield as annoying or said they outright hated him. Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but feel a deep, extended empathy for him. An old friend once told me that this book is for all the lonely souls, and I think that’s the truest description I’ve ever heard.

Holden is a rough character to sit with, angsty, bitter, often abrasive, but he’s also a boy still reeling from the trauma of losing his brother and not knowing how to process it. Of course he lashes out. Of course he’s “annoying.” That’s what grief can look like when you’re young, confused, and desperate to make sense of a world that seems stacked against you. For me, this novel isn’t just Holden’s story, it’s about how loss shapes us, how we yearn for connection, and how frightening it is to watch innocence slip away.

There’s something profoundly moving in Holden’s desperate wish to preserve youth, to be the “catcher” who saves children from falling into the corruption of adulthood. It’s a heartbreaking metaphor, and it resonates even more as the years pass. Life really does give us just one shot, and Holden’s futile dream to protect purity speaks volumes about how unkind and abrasive the world can be.

I will say that the homophobic undertones in the portrayal of Mr. Antolini haven’t aged well, and it’s something that makes me wince when I revisit the book. But even with that, I still find myself thinking back to the cringey, lonely boy I once was, seeing so much of myself in Holden. Part of me still wants to go back in time, put a hand on his shoulder, and tell him that he willfind good people someday, people who will give him the time of day.

“The Catcher in the Rye” isn’t an easy book, but it’s one that lingers. For those who’ve ever felt out of step with the world, misunderstood, or just desperately searching for someone to listen, it remains a powerful companion.

Content Warnings