I was gifted this by my older sister when I was 18 and I never got around to reading it. She said it was intended to read before college, I didn’t understand until page 189. I found the words very comforting, unfortunately they came from a character who is suspect of preying on Holden sooo…He’s one of the many predators talked about in this book, to the point where I have to believe the author wanted us to understand how perverse men are. 

The POV of Holden gets old quick. The book is slow and severely overrated. What many consider a classic, I think is just outdated and dull. I do have empathy for Holden and hope he found healing where it was he was getting help for at the end. He reminds me a lot of an old best friend I had, I’m convinced Holden was a Gemini moon.

Spoilers Ahead!!

Firstly, I wanna say that I read this as a teenager - which may affect the way I view this book. Holden is a very unlikeable character who hates everything and there is a repeating theme of: walking around New York, I hate this, memory, walking around, etc. But I was so interested in what Holden thought about everything and how he would reveal more about his life and memories to the reader. Some people feel like the beginning was too slow and unbearable to read. However, of course it is not as good as the ending, but I enjoyed how there wasn’t a point he was reaching or a goal he had in mind. I think that points towards the message of the book as well.

The teacher whom he stays with at the end of the book points of that Holden is headed towards a falling trajectory. Holden has been looking for something to hold onto and he just can’t find it.

I wasn’t until Holden spent time with his younger sister (one of the only people he has high regard for) and saw her playing on the carousel. The entire book the reader sees how depressed he is and how he hates everything. All of a sudden, he feels immense happiness.

I’m going to be completely honest, I cried so much that chapter. Seeing someone depressed thrn their lives around made me so emotional. 

I am not depressed or anything, but I related to Holden’s point of view and gave me hope and motivation for my own future.

 thanks for reading :)

When I first read this book I laid in bed for a week straight. This book is good when you’re in the teenage angst phase. However, I like it les each time I read it. I still think it has literary value, it’s just not for everyone and not great for the mentally ill. 

i have mixed feelings about this book, mostly because i feel to young and stupid to understand it on a deeper level by myself. i am positive i would have understood it more if i had an english teacher explain it to me along the way. however, i am no quitter, so i will spend the evening reading public analyzes. 
-
on the other hand, what i did like was how timeless the classic was. the plot and story could just as likely be from today, even though it was written in the 1940’s. salinger did a great job, in my opinion. i forgot - apart from the language - where the story was set on several occasions. i remember holden writing an essay and having to borrow his roommate’s typewriter. that made me a little confused, because in my head i had imagined a computer all along. 
-
i also liked how relatable holden was, and that he was in no way perfect. he struggled with accepting change and the way some things were, and also did not like when others did things different than him. still, he wanted to be unique. holden also struggled with growing up to a level where he started failing school. what made the story better was that he told his story from a time he knew better, and i felt like i learned his lessons with him. 
-
my favourite kind of books are the ones you reflect and think about later on. i feel like the cather in the rye is one of those, but because i haven’t understood it completely yet i cannot give it an a+. i do however give it a 4 out of 6 stars, because even though i struggled with all the details and lack of breaks within the story, i like what i have gotten from it, and what i most likely will get from it later on.
-
i will recommend the cather in the rye for those who want something different than a quick and easy read. you must like analyzing books, and accept that you probably won’t understand everything by yourself.