I had no idea what this book was about but have always been intrigued. I felt such discomfort, anxiety, and pure dislike/hate of this book as I read it . I cannot speak for people who have severe narcissistic mental health disorders as to how accurate it is but if you have ever been in a toxic relationship with a narcissist.. this book is hella triggering. The way Holden interacts and speaks of those around him swinging back and forth from praising/loving to tearing them to shreds in whiplash I have experienced being on the other side of that and listening to it. I also just didn’t understand the plot much and the way it abruptly ended made me mad, that I had gone through all that emotional turmoil for it to just… finish with no real reason. Anyways I wouldn’t recommend this book unless you are curious about what it feels like to be around someone with actual narcissism.

Some people would probably say that Holden Caulfield is one of the most despicable characters they’ve ever met in their entire bookish journey. I agree with them. Holden is, in fact, a little douche and a stuck-up teenager who does nothing but whine and wander. 

But this book explores a much more important concept about people and reality. 

(spoiler alert – just my two cents) 

Holden knows how much society has changed us and convinces us to become something we’re not just so we could fit in to the so-called norms and standards. In the book, he believes that every person he meets is a phony and he hates himself for gradually becoming one so he tries to defy the rules and be who he want to be (which makes sense since he thinks he’s better than anyone else just ‘cause he’s ✨ not like other people ✨). 

That’s why Holden is so hell-bent about wanting to be the Catcher in the Rye and strives to make a difference by saving the children from running off the edge of the cliff because he is aware that the moment they fall and land, no one will save them from the abyss (a metaphor for growing up).