Reviews with content warning for Violence - The Catcher in the Rye

Reviews tagging Violence

The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

30 reviews

burymeatmakeoutcreek's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

I read this book once for high school and I remember loving it. Despite Holden's unreliability as a narrator and some dated language, I was enthralled by his mark as a storyteller. However, reading this again made me realize he really is just a teenager and this book is mostly his ramblings on anything and everything. It is also about the messed up life of a privileged kid who's trying to survive his own mind. I know most people now aren't into first-person narration and this book especially hinges on going through the mind of this teenage boy. However, I still think it's valuable for being able to present the life of a single person through a stream-of-consciousness style and showing the character's motives through their words and actions.

Unlike the book, this review is going nowhere. I just loved it, despite everything wrong with it. I cannot get over how much despair Holden goes through and I'll always remember the red hunting hat.

Content Warnings

logsbooklog's review

Go to review page

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

reading this, it was pretty evident to me why this is a classic. it’s one of those books where you can’t analyze it without revealing pieces of yourself. holden can be relatable, insufferable, deeply mentally ill, and any combination thereof, but how you come out viewing him will vary with your experiences. he’s an extremely compelling protagonist with clear unresolved trauma and identity issues that makes him easy to root for even as he’s making all the wrong choices.

Content Warnings

liz_e's review

Go to review page

challenging dark funny reflective tense 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

4.5

The suicidal urges, the violent thoughts, the hate he’s internalized for himself— people around him— the world— the impulses, the urge to just make things worse. He’s miserable. There’s just this glimmer of hope and love that keeps him hanging on. And I understand why some people think all of these thoughts are unrealistic… but as someone living With depression… it’s the most realistic thing I’ve ever read. This book is so important to me. I only wish it didn’t come from the point of view of a terribly sexist kid. But it does. So it’s complicated. But it’s important.

Content Warnings

evakarolina's review

Go to review page

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

Content Warnings

sara_berlin's review

Go to review page

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

3.0

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.

Content Warnings

evawertz's review

Go to review page

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.

Content Warnings

xjr's review against another edition

Go to review page

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...

Content Warnings