rooney_shay's review against another edition
1.0
It’s hard to sympathize with Holden in this book. I mean, I get teen angst and all, but not EVERYTHING is depressing. There’s so much he could do to make his situation better, but instead he just blames everyone else for his problems. I got annoyed really quickly.
annilikesbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
anastazjav32's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
gabrielareads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
4.0
mimimunoz's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bingeread's review against another edition
4.0
To say in the words of Holden Caulfield, It just killed me.
While reading books, I am more drawn towards writing style than the actual story. If you have a conservative story line that starts at start and ends in the end and you have delivered a great book, then its no wonder. But when you don't have that conservative storyline, its really hard to write a book, let alone a classic. Its more harder when the protagonist is not have a character of a knight in shining armour, but a drifting teenage ( not even regular) boy who was not sure of anything he says or not says. Salinger must be genius. How he can conceive such a story and put it writing in a logical order, I never can comprehend it. The amazing part is, it is interesting as well. Holden's fear, how he misses his dead brother, his affection toward his little sister Phoebe, the author didnt describe any of these in so many words. But still he tells all this. This book mostly worked because of its novelty -- the written style, the hero who cannot be definitely described as a hero in any moral sense, the unconventional story, etc..
There is no middle ground, either you like it or you hate it entirely. Everyone has shades of grey. It must be good to know we are not the only one confused in this universe, there is someone out there like us, though he is fictious.
While reading books, I am more drawn towards writing style than the actual story. If you have a conservative story line that starts at start and ends in the end and you have delivered a great book, then its no wonder. But when you don't have that conservative storyline, its really hard to write a book, let alone a classic. Its more harder when the protagonist is not have a character of a knight in shining armour, but a drifting teenage ( not even regular) boy who was not sure of anything he says or not says. Salinger must be genius. How he can conceive such a story and put it writing in a logical order, I never can comprehend it. The amazing part is, it is interesting as well. Holden's fear, how he misses his dead brother, his affection toward his little sister Phoebe, the author didnt describe any of these in so many words. But still he tells all this. This book mostly worked because of its novelty -- the written style, the hero who cannot be definitely described as a hero in any moral sense, the unconventional story, etc..
There is no middle ground, either you like it or you hate it entirely. Everyone has shades of grey. It must be good to know we are not the only one confused in this universe, there is someone out there like us, though he is fictious.
ksmith219's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
One of my favorite books. It’s really of nothing but a clearly depressed boy who is an unreliable narrator that hates everything.