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dako 's review for:
The Catcher in the Rye
by J.D. Salinger
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Classics are hit or miss. Sometimes, you really have to remember the context they were written in to appreciate them, and, other times, you're amazed at how something written so long ago can still be so relevant. For me, The Catcher in the Rye was the latter.
I'm impressed at how unique I found the voice of the narrator, Holden Caulfield. I've never read anything quite like it, and the most impressive part is that it really doesn't sound outdated. It could've been written a few weeks ago.
Holden is a frustrating narrator. He's an edgy teenager who thinks he has it all figured out and that he can fool anyone despite also being aware that his life is a mess and that he's not really fooling anybody. He's had a hard life and keeps making bad decisions after bad decisions while loathing absolutely everyone around him except for his siblings. He believes everyone around him are phonies (probably his favorite word) and can barely spend more than 5 seconds in the company of anyone without remembering he actually hates them and that everything they say make him want to barf.
He struggles to define himself in a world that seems destined to not listen to him. He's just 16, has no self-esteem, he's lost and scared, hasn't processed his grief, witnessed or was victim to many traumatic events, doesn't have a support system and is isolated and unable to ask for help. The adults around him regularly fail to help him. He wants to grow up, but he also doesn't want to become like them. Under all of this, he's still kind, empathetic and sentimental, even if he's afraid to show it most times. He's a very tragic character and I found his journey very interesting, although it was sad. I loved this book.
I'm impressed at how unique I found the voice of the narrator, Holden Caulfield. I've never read anything quite like it, and the most impressive part is that it really doesn't sound outdated. It could've been written a few weeks ago.
Holden is a frustrating narrator. He's an edgy teenager who thinks he has it all figured out and that he can fool anyone despite also being aware that his life is a mess and that he's not really fooling anybody. He's had a hard life and keeps making bad decisions after bad decisions while loathing absolutely everyone around him except for his siblings. He believes everyone around him are phonies (probably his favorite word) and can barely spend more than 5 seconds in the company of anyone without remembering he actually hates them and that everything they say make him want to barf.
He struggles to define himself in a world that seems destined to not listen to him. He's just 16, has no self-esteem, he's lost and scared, hasn't processed his grief, witnessed or was victim to many traumatic events, doesn't have a support system and is isolated and unable to ask for help. The adults around him regularly fail to help him. He wants to grow up, but he also doesn't want to become like them. Under all of this, he's still kind, empathetic and sentimental, even if he's afraid to show it most times. He's a very tragic character and I found his journey very interesting, although it was sad. I loved this book.