Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - Над пропастью во ржи

Representation: Minor Asian character
Score: Seven points out of ten.

I wanted to read The Catcher in the Rye since I saw it circle my recommendations, and when I saw a library having this, I immediately wanted to pick it up. I couldn't glance at the blurb, since there was no blurb. However, I went in with high hopes. When I closed the final page, the book was enjoyable.

It starts with the first character I see, Holden, who had to leave school after his expulsion and now the only action he can do is to wander around New York. He spends all of the narrative doing that and contemplating others, and, most importantly, himself. I was in Holden's mind throughout the fictional composition, and initially, I was disconnected from him and couldn't relate. I feared I wouldn't enjoy The Catcher in the Rye. Eventually, Holden grew on me and I liked it more and more. However, I still have gripes with it. A less repetitive writing style would've added to The Catcher in the Rye. The author could've put as much effort into the other characters as Holden. But he did not, making it difficult for me to connect or relate to them. For a novel over 200 pages, it's slow-paced. There isn't a genuine conclusion to The Catcher in the Rye, but I delighted myself in reading it nonetheless.

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seanml's review against another edition

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funny reflective sad 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

Excellent. A kid on the verge of growing into a young adult tells us all about how the world works. Everyone is annoying - either they're sad and pathetic to think about. Or they're phony; so full of themselves. Every except Holden - Holden who hates movies more than anything but sometimes goes to watch them. Holden who knows all about how women work because he's decided how they work before he even says hello. Holden does have a lot of beautiful points to make about the world - they're just not the ones he intends. 9/10.

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senny's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful 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

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nickoliver's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I really need to think on this a bit more. I hated reading this book with a passion, but after a while, I realised I needed to look at it from another angle too. So I will do that.

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