Sunday, September 23, 2012
Catcher EVAL
Write an evaluation of The Catcher in the Rye in which you point to one good thing about the book and one negative thing before arriving at an overall assessment. Get to the question of, "Did you like it?" Offer evidence from the reading to support your claim. Consider Holden as narrator, but also setting, theme, conflict, characterization, irony, Salinger's writing style, personification, hyperbole, or anything else you feel compelled to add. Remember to read several of your peers' posts and offer a response to at least one other classmate.
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The plot was pointless. It's one of those books that doesnt lead anywhere. I did like it though. It sort of relates to us, teenagers. I mean I wish I could hang out in New York whenever I wanted without having to go home or anything, but what I mean is the conflict and insecurity of Holden character relates to us. The setting was nice and provided the Holden with some conflicts other than self-realization. His conflicts are those every person faces. Overall I liked Salinge's writing style. He chose a good point of view to tell the story from. By speaking through Holden, he doesn't need to waste his time on all the unecessary information. Holden simply says I don't want to get in to in and he doesn't need to.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your opinion of Salinger talking through Holden. It isn't necessary to know how Salinger was raised, what his beliefs are, where he was born, etc. It really gets to the main issue and continues from there. I appreciate his honesty, even it was through a character.
DeleteI agree that he told the story from a good point of view. I liked the ending as well. I want to hang in New York too!
DeleteI would love to hang around New York whenever.. Probably a lot better than downtown Spring Lake.......
DeleteI agree I thought the plot was pointless also.
DeleteI enjoyed reading this book. Even better than my appreciation of it, was hearing others' opinions on the matter. This book is open to many different opinions, whether you liked Holden, or whether you despised him, whether you believed there was a plot, or rather, you believed it was pointless. It definitely is a book that offers many opinions, each opinion giving a little bit of insight to the person "evaluating" the book.
ReplyDeleteSalinger's writing style is very poetic and I thoroughly enjoyed reading Holden's common phrases throughout the book. "I'm not kidding", "I'm serious", or the frequent use of profanity all were beautifully mixed in with the plot (in my opinion). It takes a great deal of skill to repeat yourself multiple times, hold the interest of many, and have it make sense.
I agree with you that Salinger did a good job of mixing phrases and profanity. He played the role of a teen boy quite well and this book definetly can be one of those that u either love or cant stand.
DeleteI agree with you about the many different opinions thing. I don't know how I personally feel about it, but it acts as an interesting prism of other personalities, like as a way of seeing what different people get out of the same story.
DeleteI would be super interested in seeing what a bunch of different people thought the point of the book was.
I enjoyed this book sometimes and other times I didnt. I feel like most of the time it lead nowhere and simply just described a very long and drawn out day in the life of a teen. I also didnt like how Holden constantly complained and acted like getting kicked out of Pencey was going to be the end of him. Throughout the book he mostly complains about his miserable life and only until the end does he really find joy in his life. All in all Salinger did portray a teen boy quite well and he is a good writer. I just feel like he could have had more excitement to his story instead of lots of talking over and over.
ReplyDeleteAgreed! Holden complains a ton. It's completely relate-able though. Teens, such as ourselves, are the largest group in the population to complain when nothing is really that bad.
DeleteI agree, the could have been more excitement to his story. I also felt that Holden constantly complained and made his life seem so much worse than it really was.
DeleteCole Conway
2nd Hour
I agree with the fact that Holden thought that being kicked out of Pencey was going to be the end of him. That's a good way of putting it.
DeleteAll and all the book was alright but not great. It had it up and its downs like every book has but I thought the plot was bland. Salingers book came off as an average weekend in Newyork, but drastically dramafied. On the plus side, I thought that Slingers way of writing was magnificent. The way he wrote Holdens dialect made Holden sounds just like a teenager. The biggest downfall of the book I thought was the end. I feel that Salinger rushed the end and could have done alot more with it. It almost felt like he got sick of writing the book and just ended it so abrutly.
ReplyDeleteCole Conway
2nd Hour
I agree with your thoughts on the ending- it almost seems unfinished. It would've been a much better book if it had been just a chapter or two longer.
DeleteUntil, like, yesterday, I really hated Catcher in the Rye. I liked how Salinger wrote it - and the slang was done pretty well - but I like a book with payoff. I wanted Holden to call Jane and fix his issues at least a little bit. He did not, and I got really tired of him ragging on everyone. I started to feel like half the people he judged so harshly weren’t even as bad as he thought they were, and certainly no worse than him. And whenever he said something that I agreed with, I don’t know, I was kind of bothered, because I didn’t want to agree with him about anything.
ReplyDeleteBut I think now I can sort of appreciate the fact that it maybe shouldn’t matter if you like Holden or not, because that’s not actually what the book is about. I kind of feel sorry for him in the end of the book, where he wants to protect the kids, and so I guess I like the deeper parts of the book, even if I’m not so big on Holden, or how he handles things.
I mean, half the people he called ‘phony’ just seemed like people he saw who were happy doing things he didn’t personally enjoy, and so he figured if they weren’t acting like him, they were faking it. I don’t know, I have mixed feelings.
On a side note, I noticed the slang was very different in the end of the book than in the beginning; I don't know if that's important. I also can't tell if Salinger was making a point with that weird ending, or if he didn't know how else to end it.
I totally agree with your comment about there being a payoff at the end of the book. I would have liked him to call Jane and finally talk to her, have him go home and learn the reactions of his parents, or even get a better explanation as to why he was in a rehab center. The book ended well with the aspect of adding to Holden's dream of being the cather in the rye, but I still think it should have gone on and explain the unexplained.
DeleteMary Jo Koster
1st hour
You stole the words from my mouth. I completley agree with you, Shannon. I hated this book, and then I started to feel sorry for Holden. Sorry for him, but at the same time exhausted with him.
DeleteLiana Maitland
1st Hour
I completely agree with you Shannon...and Liana. Definitely didn't like the book all that much in the beginning. But I wanted him to resolve his issues. I like a happy ending...and I like how Liana puts it. "sorry for him, but at the same time exhausted with him." I feel the same way.
DeleteI didn't really have an opinion for this book. There was nothing that I absolutely loved about it. But I didn't exactly hate it as well. I did like, however, how Salinger wrote it. It had a unique personality to it. I think it would be interesting to see if that's what Salinger really thought about the world. I'd like to think that he doesn't see things like that because not everyone is a 'phony'. I thought that the way Salinger incorporated the "Comin' through the Rye" poem into the book and make it one of the symbols was pretty interesting. I wasn't expecting that to be the reason of the name of the book. The part that i liked best was when Holden was with Phoebe at the carousel and he was actually happy for once. That made me happy!
ReplyDeleteI also liked how Salinger wrote the book. I felt like it was much more engaging and it made the book much more interesting. I liked that last scene the best as well. It was the only scene where he was truly happy and content with life.
DeleteThe book was good considering talking like a teenager. Though a little over the top when it comes to the mature language. Also the symbolism is subtle such as the clever use of the red hunting hat. When Holden is confident he wears it and it mentions him wearing it, but the author doesn't make a big deal about it. So it makes you think when you look for symbols.
ReplyDeleteI disliked the main character in contrast to what my motto of life is. Holden always seems to be running. Either from school or his family. He really doesn't seem that bright even though he is supposed to be smart. If you are smart you know that running from a problem doesn't fix it. You need to take a stand. Plus I don't like the word phony used every five sentences. It gets very, very annoying.
So overall the book was a interesting piece because it is interesting to analyze. I don't care for it too much, and I wouldn't recommend it unless you had to write an in depth essay about symbolism for a class.
Ronald Madrid 5th hour
DeleteI couldn't agree with you more. You need to confront your problems before they build up and collapse over top of you. I also think the word phony is used wayyyyy too much. But as for the symbolism essay, i believe the scarlet letter would be a better book for a symbolism essay. but that is just my opinion :)
DeleteI liked the book a lot. Although the book really didn't have much of a plot, it got its points across well. I really appreciated Salinger's writing style- Holden would go from very sarcastic and funny to deep and poetic in less than a page. I think it's nice that Salinger wasn't afraid of using some profanity and slang to strengthen his writing. Some authors "polish" things and it doesn't get the idea across as well, so I liked that Salinger used realistic language. I didn't really like the ending, though. It was very abrupt and anticlimatic.
ReplyDeleteJennie DeBlanc
2nd Hour
I also liked that Salinger wasn't afraid to use some language in his writing. It made it sound more real and relatable.
DeleteI agree with what you said about the ending. The ending was not very good and it just stopped in the middle of it.
DeleteI thought the book was very interesting. I liked how the book was easy to relate to a teenagers life. It was fun to hear about all the situations that Holden got into and we (as the reader) were able to know what he was thinking at all times. One thing that I didn't love about the book was that it would sometimes describe about 5 minutes of the book, in about 30 pages. Sometimes my attention span doesn't quite hold that long. However, I really did like the book. I also like the was Saleger wrote the book. I thought it was cool how you could tell who was talking by how certain people said things. I think it is awesome that you can tell who is talking by not even hearing the person. I would definitly recommend this book to more people!
ReplyDeleteAdam Clauss
I agree with Adam on the enjoyment I got out of hearing of Holden's situations and stories. I also agree that knowing what he was thinkning was a key component to this book, mainly because what he was saying was often times rather different than what he was thinking.
DeleteIntresting to see that you would go to that length of placing the book in peoples laps while they are sleeping, I find that a extremely odd thing to do.
DeleteI agree with you, Adam, on the point about the book describing about 5 minutes in 30 pages. I found myself literally falling asleep while reading during these boring periods.
DeleteIn the book "The Catcher in the Rye" Holden is the narrarator and because of this, the writing style is in the form of his thoughts. I found this aspect of the book very difficult to read because of the constant profanity and the repetativeness that was found when he would think something and proceed to say his thoughts in the next line. I personally did not enjoy that. I was also very let down by the ending. The ending gave me no closure to the story. I was left with many questions and the ubrupt ending left me feeling very confused and unsatisfied. I was curious to learn about his actual reasoning to being put into the hospital, and if some special event made his parents come to the conclusion that he should be shipped away in this way, or if the entire story was what finally caused his self realization that he needed to seek help. I want to know, and sadly I never will. I really enjoyed reading the book as a whole though. I found the story line very interesting and I kept wanting to learn more, which made me want to read more. Holden as a character made me very curious about his past and knowing his thought process through out the story is what really caught my attention through out the entire book. Getting inside someone's head is always interesting.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tori, I wasn't too fond of the ending. I wish we knew the events leading up to how he ended up in the hospital.
DeleteThis book in a whole was actually a very interesting book. This was really the first book where I analyzed almost everything the character did. And I enjoyed doing so, every other book would have a deeper meaning, but this book could have many other meanings that were lost on others. Holden as a character is interesting, some might say he is a whiny teenager, others might say that he is a just a teenager trying to do what is right. I am right in the middle on those ideas. I see him as an almost bitter young adult who is constantly rationalizing his actions to himself.
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting delve into the mind of other characters, or just to expand on them. I thought Mr. Antolini could have been a very interesting character, and he appears to be more multi dimensional than actually shown. I'm am going to be James Blunt about this and say that I did not like Pheobe. The whole book was a good steak with other characters representing the condiments that goes well with steak. Now Pheobe was ketchup she ruined the book. I just couldn't connect with her. She just seemed like an immature little kid. She just needs to grow up. She seemed childish and was not portrayed as the twenty year old I pictured in my mind.
Torden Peek-jensen
2nd
I personally liked the book and found it to be interesting. Holden is a rather eccentric character to say the least, and his interactions with people always amused me. One thing I really didn't like about this book though was the time lapse of the story and how certain things weren't properly explained. So many events took place in a short period of time, and the reader was never reminded of what day it was and etc. I found that to be a little confusing at times. Also, I didn't really like how the book ended. I felt that it should go on. I wanted Salinger to explain the specific reason why Holden had to go to a rehab center in California, and not just leave it to the reader to assume he went there because of his depression. The beginning of the book made it sound like something really traumatic happened, and it was rather disappointing to get to the end of the book and find out that was wrong. All in all however, I really enjoyed the book. I think Salinger made the right choice in choosing to have a first person narrator. That choice really made the book; one of the reasons why it was such a memorable read.
ReplyDeleteMary Jo Koster
1st hour
I agree when you mention how some things weren't explained like they should be. On some topics he goes on and on about a topic when it was unnecessary
DeleteThis book wasn't my favorite book. I can't say I even like it, really. Oh it was interesting and all, and well written for it being from the middle of a teenager's mind, like everyone else has said, but it wore me out. He complained and complained, and there never seemed to be an end. He also didn't resolve his conflicts, and nothing of what he did in the book ever seemed important. Perhaps that's the point--that Holden never did anything about the pressing issues at hand. All the same, though, I would have liked to have known the big stuff. What do I mean by big stuff? I mean where he and Jane stand together. How his parents reacted. What he did to get himself landed in California. What did he do when he grew up? Did he ever grow up? The only time I ever really feel for Holden is at the end, when I realized that he just wants to help children and keep them safe from the harsh realities of adulthood. I know my next sentence is biast and a little twisted, but it's what I imagine from movies I've seen: I could honestly picture Holden being an older man, working as a janitor or something in a school, being wise and knowing his mistakes in life and encouraging kids to go the other way and not repeat what he did.
ReplyDeleteLiana Maitland
1st Hour
I agree with Holden's complaining "wearing you out." I felt the same exact way while reading this book. I also would have liked to find out some of the "big stuff" you mentioned. Those were all important questions that unfortunately went unanswered.
DeleteCaleb I agree 100%. Holden was constantly lying, while calling others out for being phony.
DeleteConnor Galligan
1st hour
Sorry. I meant to post this on another one. But I agree with you too Liana, Holden does indeed wear me out.
DeleteI agree completely. I don't think I really like Holden, but I can see where he comes from in much of the book because I fell like a lot of people think the same way as him. Some of the time, I even agreed with him about phonies, but I would never let it bother me that much.
DeleteI personally found the book to be decent. It wasn't extraordinary, and it also wasn't terrible. As for a book required to read for an English class, it was one of the better ones in my opinion. I liked reading through Holden's eyes, although the constant complaining did get a little repetitive and annoying. The book seemed pretty boring by the end, as I read about Holden's failures with no plans in resolving anything. I was expecting for the ending to have a more positive ending, possibly Holden finally attempting to turn his life around. I guess I tried to read a very pessimistic book in a somewhat optimistic way, so I can't be all that surprised it was a somewhat disappointment.
ReplyDeleteLaurie English
1st hour
I found the book interesting. Even though the book didn't really have a plot I like the writing style that he used. I feel like teenagers can still relate to this book. The language that Salinger uses relates to how some teens speak today. But as far as a book that we read for English, it's not my favorite over all. The ending ended up being very disappointing! I was expecting Holden to find himself and go back to school. Instead the book just suddenly came to an end. It made me somewhat upset.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the ending. I was not satisfied what so ever. It seemed like Salinger did not want to finish the book. I hoped I would get some closure, you know, just to see what happend with Holden in detail. I also agree on this book being relatable to some teens today because some do use the wording he used. I personally didnt like reading it but it is relatable.
DeleteI surprisingly really enjoyed The Catcher in the Rye. Usually any book that the school forces me to read, is hated within the first chapter and goes unfinished after reaching the halfway point, but I can proudly say I read the entire thing, and enjoyed most every bit of it. I found it entertaining and at some parts, funny. I hope the rest of the books we read are as enjoyable as this one! Holden is a relatable character, that goes through similar struggles that we do as modern day teens. One let down was the end though, as others have said. I was hoping Holden would explain what happened after he got home, but the book just cut off instea
ReplyDeleteMaddie Parker
2nd hour
Overall The Catcher in the Rye was an okay book. I don`t know if I would ever choose to read this book on my own but I didn`t mind reading it at least once. I think that it is a book that every high school student needs to read just because it’s a classic. I really liked how Salinger wrote Holden in first person. This style of writing gets me more engaged into the book and it made me like the book a little more. I did not like Holden as a person though. He was not a very likable character in my mind. He was never happy and always thought terrible about the world and everything in it. He was just a character that I really couldn`t connect with. Even when Holden should be happy, like when he was hanging out with Sally, he was very pessimistic and ended up running her off. I loved Salinger`s writing style I just didn’t really like Holden and I thought that the ending could have wrapped up the book a little more than it did.
ReplyDelete2nd hour
I don't know that I would state that every high schooler should read it simply because it's a classic, but because it's a relateable story in many ways or at least an eye-opener. I think Holden had some deep issues that affected his disturbing behavior. But I do agree that I liked Salinger's writing style and that the ending was .. well, terrible.
DeleteThe Catcher In The Rye was a very fast and easy read for me even though I didn't really enjoy it. Holden's constant complaining and ranting was annoying. Sometimes it got to the point where I was actually mad at him and the book. I liked the setting of Pencey Prep and New York City. He also chose a very good theme to write about. Teenage angst is something everyone can relate to because they've all been there. I think everyone should read Catcher because it is considered a classic and it is still relavent today.
ReplyDeleteThe Catcher in the Rye was a decent book in my opinion. I think that the main character Holden Caulfield was very interesting and unique. One positive thing about the book was that it expressed Holden's individuality from others and how sometimes the people who call others phony, are indeed one of the most phony people. I found the writing and dialogue of Holden to be very frusterating and annoying. As Holden kept repeating himself about the most pointless things, I found it harder and harder to stay focused and continue reading. The one question that loomed over me throughout the book was, "How has this book sold over 65 million copies?" I do think that it would be a blast to be Holden for that short amount of time. I would love to just roam around NYC and blow my money on pointless things. In that aspect, Holden and I are quite similar.
ReplyDeleteErik Johnson
2nd Hour
I definitely agree with you Erik. I found myself wondering how this book became so popular?! How could it have sold 65 million copies?! Another thing I agree with you about is Holden's constant ranting about pointless things that were irrelevant to the story.
DeleteI agree with you in asking myself that same question. It really is weird that this book became so popular. I'd like to ask Salinger himself if he thought it would or not.
DeleteThe Catcher in The Rye was not the best book I have read, however, it wasn't the worst book either. Throughout much of the book I was wondering what the plot was, I know the point of the book was to describe Holden's point of view of the world that some people may be phony (teenage angst), but there seemed to be no anticipation, or climax. The book stayed at one pace the whole time. I did like Holden though, and I felt he brought a new perspective of the human race to many of the readers. Often times we don't think about how phony or fake people are- but Holden did. My favorite character would definitely be Phoebe. Even though she was young, she was one of the more mature characters in the book. She was the one person that was there for Holden and cared about him, and he loved her too. This shows the strong bond between family members as well. This book was okay.
ReplyDeleteI agree about Phoebe. She's interesting because she's so young but more mature than Holden in some ways. They're so close for siblings; most books with teenagers as main characters talk about how annoying younger siblings are but Holden really cares about phoebe. It's cute:)
DeleteI have very mixed feeling about The Catcher in the Rye. I didn't hate the book but I didn't really enjoy it. There wasn't much of a plot but it was also a very easy read. I feel like I think that listening to Holden talking about Phoebe was one of my favorite parts because it shows how brothers look out for their sisters. One part that I didn't really enjoy about the book was how Holden was so angery and depressed all the time and I didn't quite understand why.
ReplyDeleteStephanie Sabo
2nd hour
I agree with the fact you did not understand Holden's emotions toward things. I could understand some of his feelings toward certain things, but other times it seemed as though he just had a bunch of random opinions and failed to explain why.
DeleteTo me the book was one characterized by both ups and downs. It started off exciting and new because no one has really read a book like this before, especially from the character standpoint in which holden writes from. Then the book hit a little bit of a dry spell as he wanders around New York not really doing anything. The book, in my opinion, started to get exciting again towards the end and I too thought that there was going to be a climactic ending in which he either ended up killing someone or going insane and wigging out throughout the city. Neither of these things happened so I was disappointed with the ending. One positive thing I did like about the book however was how well it related to the young adult persona in the world. I believe that as kids grow up they face a lot of the challenges and feelings that Holden shares with us throughout the book; hope, despair, loneliness, anger, anxiety, etc. Personally, this book wasn't my favorite purely based on the fact that once you go to the end it made you feel as though you read it for no reason, interesting characters though.
ReplyDelete-Ben Keller (2nd)
I agree with the uneventful plot. I really gave the benefit of the doubt that SOMETHING would happen in the end of this book. Instead, some stupid symbolism about Holden catching little kids off a cliff was used instead. Really a terrible ending.
DeleteI agree that the ending did seem kind of anticlimactic. Although I wasn't really expecting him to kill someone, it seemed like it would at least explain more about what happened after his parents found out that he was kicked out. I also agree that Holden can represent a lot of feelings that kids experience as they grow up, but I think that they're more of an exaggerated form of what most people experience.
DeleteI completely agree with your thoughts about the ending of the book. I sat there staring at the book for a few minutes after I actually finished it with a very unsatisfied, deprived feeling. Before that I had enjoyed the descriptions of Holden's thoughts and feelings toward people and his world, and how they could be related to teenagers' ideas today.
DeleteI really enjoyed Catcher. It was my second time reading it, and although it's definately not my favorite book in the world, I did enjoy re-reading it. Holden's just a wonderful character. I'm not sure how I feel on the plot but I love how we really get to know Holden, flaws and all. I was dissapointed the first time I read it in the ending, thinking it would conclude with something more life aferming but reading it again I think I understand it better. I like how it ties in with the beginning and just all the nostalga Salinger throughs in. The 1950s vive makes it unique, because Holden is a teenager doing teenage things but in a completely different decade. I think Holden's really what the book's about. It's a character analysis and it's meant to be relatable. I think it does what it was intended to do- if that makes any sense:p
ReplyDeleteRachel Briegel
1st hr
Ohhh another thing about the 1950s: the term teenager was really coined, or should I say, well used in this decade. The 1950s was abuz with cold-war fears and the country ripping itself apart due to the many new social groups emerging like the beatniks and the rockers. :)
DeleteYes, Rachel! I totally think that you are correct in saying that this book is a "character analysis"! Even though there was not much of a plot, you could see Holden's character undergoing a metamorphosis throughout the whole novel. I would be curious to know if you found any new tid-bits as you read TCITR a second time. I really enjoy your post and, I find it to be very insightful.
DeleteI will be quite honest, I did not like this book. It had good characteristics, like Showing the social norms for the time period and incorporating them into the book. Unfortunately, the good does not outweigh the bad. The only thing that absolutely irritated me were the digressions made by Holden, especially about the Ossenburger Center. I am a bigger fan of authors like Hemingway, or J.R.R. Tolkien. Salinger is a good author but he is not for me, and the Catcher in the Rye is no exception.
ReplyDeleteI personally was not the biggest fan of The Cather in the Rye. I found it hard to read and it didnt keep my attention through out the book. I did not like the writing styl of Salinger. He stated things over and over again and kept say "you know" and "in all" after almsot every sentence. There were a couple of pages that were an entire paragraph. I found myself reading it and then having no idea what I had just read. There was no plot in the book and I found it hard to follow.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I did like that the book was relatible to some teenagers today. The problems that Holden had to face is somewhat what some teens face today. The profanity Salinger used is also relatible. I really enjoyed the character Phoebe. I found her to be very mature for her age and I liked the relationship her and Holden had together. But overall I really did not enjoy the book.
I agree, Phoebe was a great character. Her relationship with Holden was really great, and I think her maturity impacted the way Holden acted in some ways.
DeleteCatcher in the Rye was an interesting book to say the least. It had a great view of psychology. Holden losing his sanity throughout the book is entertaining yet... IT MAKES NO SENSE. I mean I get how he is wildly depressed with the adult world and lonely with his views but.... it that enough to send someone over board. Whenever I hear that Holden is the protector of childhood innocense I picture Winnie-The-Pooh. Not a kid who drinks,smokes, accidently orders a hooker (can I say that on here?), and keeps dropping out of school. Usually schools help protect children, so why does he have an issue with them? Odd, odd, book :p yet it was an easy read and it was entertaining....just there was hardly noticable plot line.
ReplyDeleteI concur. Holden does not make sense. One who is trying to protect childhood innocence should not use such profanity. However, I did not find it to be an easy read, as he could never sick to the main narrative, and I found a lot of his complaining to be annoying.
DeleteCaleb Blohm 1st hour
Catcher in the Rye was definitely not my favorite book, but I cannot say I didn't like it. At some points, I really enjoyed the book, there were things that as I read through the book I would place a sticky note by because I found them interesting, or comical. I also really liked the fact that in every situation Holden found himself in I knew his every thought. Yet there were parts that I just wanted to skim over because there was no rhyme or reason to, and they lost my interest quickly. I felt like even though the book had some dry spots it would redeem itself, yet the ending was not as amazing as I thought it might have been. I was disappointed in how abruptly it ended and how I felt like I was missing a large part of the ending. Overall the book wasn't too bad.
ReplyDeleteMichaela De Jonge
5th hour
I agree about noticing the book redeem itself. I noticed several instances where I was getting bored, then something he would say would raise my eyebrows and cause me to continue reading.
DeleteFaith 5th Hour
Catcher in the Rye was a seemingly out of date book. The language and portrayals throw this book back too far for teenagers to completely understand now. Specifically, I remember Holden talking about stradlater and how sometimes he would be giving the time to a girl and she would say no, but stradlater would keep doing his thing. This is just rape and that makes me sick how Holden doesn't really take a lot of emotion into that action. This shows absolute disrespect towards women and times have changed significantly. I really didn't like reading the book because of it's style and overuse of the same phrases Holden would say. Such a terrible plot line, I could write a book about a boring weekend and make it seem more meaningful than this piece of trash book.
ReplyDeleteErik Lukkari 1st Hour
Erik, I agree completely about how it has a terrible plot line. I also agree about the whole rape thing, that is just absolutely disgusting that Holden didn't take any emotion to that.
DeleteAgree with everything you said.
DeleteI did not really enjoy this book. It may have had some moments, but I felt like very little actually happened, other than his getting kicked out of school. the language was easy enough to understand, but the repetition and constant digression did nothing for me keeping the plot line in order. Even more than that, I found that I couldn't like Holden, because he was the biggest hypocrite in the whole book. He lied, almost never used his real name, claimed to respect women while getting a hooker, then chickening out not because of some great epiphany, but because he was to nervous.
ReplyDeleteCaleb Blohm 1st Hour
I agree with you on this, if you look at it, nothing really important happened, and that makes the point of it just kind of a weekend of a rambling angst-filled teenager who thinks he knows the wrong in the world, when he himself is the very wrong he blames upon the world.
DeleteThe book never seemed to really go anywhere with a plot, but this doesn't mean it wasn't interesting. I enjoyed the book most of the way through, but it would have been interesting to find out what happened with Holden and his parents after he finally returned home. He made it a big deal during the whole book about what the reaction of the parents would be, but it was never really shown. The uniqueness of Holden's character from characters in other books gave it a different perspective. From the fascination Holden had with where the ducks went in the winter, to the moment when he gets drunk and breaks the record he bought for Phoebe, he always expresses himself in a way that's clear to the reader. After reading it all of the way through, I'd have to say that it was a pretty good book.
ReplyDeleteBrandon Aho
2nd hour
I agree that the plot never went anywhere, but I don't understand how a plot-less book can be interesting.
DeleteI totally agree with you Brandon! The book never really seemed to have an actual plot and go anywhere. It was never boring though and I enjoyed the book very much. Holden always kept you on your feet even though he was not really going anywhere.
DeleteShane skorupski
2nd hour
One good thing is that is was a breeze to read. One bad thing is that is was plot-less. Holden hates everything except his sister, his hunting hat and a kid how committed suicide. It was a horrible book just because it was so depressing.
ReplyDeleteRyan Galligan
2nd hour
The "Catcher in the Rye", was definitely not a book that will get this generation of teenage readers fired up. I totally and completely agree with my peers when they say that there is little to no plot over the course of the novel, and to readers who enjoy books like " The Hunger Games" (myself included) this can be frustrating and make the book seem like a waste of time.
ReplyDeleteI do, however, think that there are a lot of benefits to reading this novel. I enjoyed dissecting the character of Holden and how his adventures reflected upon his personal growth. What really makes this book a stand-out is that even though nothing much is really going on, you are able to see how Holden reacts to seemingly meaningless events with such passion and most times distaste. For me, seeing how Holden was struggling so fully with finding a balance between goodness and adulthood was very interesting. I can relate to him on many aspects of trying to fit in. As a teenager you are confronted with so many choices of how to conduct yourself as you are faced with new opportunities, and by examining others you can judge for yourself how you would like to live your life. With sound guidance from adults, this can be troubling and confusing; without adults (like in Holden's case) this must be downright terrifying.
I also loved Salinger's use of profanity that was so revolutionary and provocative for the publishing date of the book (my favorite line was always, "...sat way the hell up in bed," I found it humorous for some reason). Overall, Salinger's writing was just entertaining to read and deconstruct. "The Cather in the Rye" is not going to ever be a blockbuster movie, but it can make you think if you are open to a challenge.
Roxane (2nd)
Yeah I definitely think that the weak plot was a big contributor to making Holden's reactions to the predicaments he got himself into easier to evaluate. I also liked when he said things like "sat way the hell up in bed". I think it's so funny because he's such a drama queen throughout the whole book and I know so many people like that.
DeleteThe Catcher in the Rye has little plot, a loser for a main character, and no redeeming qualities. While it was easy vocabulary, i would disagree with it being an easy read. Every page I had to ask myself why JD wrote this. I realized that i had no answer, this made it almost impossible to read. JD had no reason to write this, it teaches nothing and its no fun to read.
ReplyDeleteConnor Galligan
1st hour
I completely agree. I found no purpose in this novel and learned absolutely nothing from it. I did find any relatible subject in the book and learned no life lesson other than do not ever become a Holden Caulfield.
DeleteCatcher in the Rye did not tell a very exciting story but I still think that it was entertaining. Holden was a very dramatic character with a mind that was constantly racing and he was also extremely random at times and I found that humorous. I didn't mind reading the book but it would have been better if there had been one central problem that the main character wanted to solve or overcome and instead it had a main character who had a problem with everything and no desire to fix any of it; that part was frustrating as I finally reached the last chapter and realized the book was over and still nothing big had happened. I liked JD Salinger's writing style, though. He used a lot of repetition of words and phrases and lingo that remained consistent throughout the book. Once you got in the rhythm of how Holden talks it made reading very easy and since we don't really talk like that this day and age here in spring lake it really put me back in the setting of the story while I was reading.
ReplyDeleteI personally did not like The Catcher in the Rye. It wasn't the worst book ever and it wasn't the best book ever. It was definitely an out of date book. There can be some parts where you can relate what teenagers face today and some parts where you can't. I found it hard to read and follow what was going on. Though I liked how we could visually see what Holden was thinking and the conversations they were having .But parts when Holden talks about another character, it always threw me off. It gets really annoying since he seems to be always depressed in the book. I liked how to story mainly takes place in New York. I didn't like that it didn't have a plot or a moral to it. It almost sounded like a persons daily journal. I really like the bond between Holden and his siblings especially Phoebe.
ReplyDeleteHarshjot Singh
5th hour
I totally agree with you Harshjot! I loved how sensitive Holden was towards his sister! I wish we could have explored their relationship more! And you're totally right when you said that it was annoying how Holden was always depressed.
DeleteFor the greater part of the book, I enjoyed Catcher in the Rye. It was entertaining and thought provoking. I see many of the characters in my everyday life. I liked that Holden thought he was the farthest thing from a phony when readers could see that he was clearly a phony himself. I liked how he had his own voice and his own way of speaking. It made Holden a very real and believable character. I disliked how the book ended. I get the whole symbolism of it all but it's frustrating to be invested in a book and it ends so abruptly. It didn't leave me guessing, it left me rolling my eyes. I could see that coming a mile away.
ReplyDeleteLeeann Latsch
2nd Hr.
I agree with Leeann when she says that she sees many of the characters in her everyday life, as do I. Many characters in this book could be portrayed through people in our school and I believe that is a way we, as teens, can somewhat relate.
DeleteI liked what you said about seeing the characters in your everyday life. I definitely agree and think that it's a great thing when an author can make you relate characters to your life.
DeleteOne good thing I liked about this book was its use of language at some parts. The author put in a bunch of profanity and it kept me entertained for the most part. The bad about this book is that basically throughout the whole entire book, nothing interesting happened. It was just about a kids weekend in New York he had. As I was reading, I just kept waiting for something big to happen, like someone dying or Holden just going nuts and kills someone, but nothing happened. Overall I would say that I didn't really like this book, simply because nothing happened in it and after a while of nothing big happening, I got bored of it.
ReplyDeleteJonny Mundt
1st Hour
I have to agree with jonny, the language at times did keep me awake. I also waited for that madman stuff to happen but ofcourse it never did.
DeleteCatcher in the Rye was an interesting book. By that, I mean it wasn't like anything I have read before. I had fun reading from the perspective of Holden. He had the ability to blow something way out of proportion which was amusing. I liked how he could talk so negatively about someone, then turn around and have a gentle description of someone he loves such as Allie or Phoebe or Jane. It really made for a one of a kind character. Though at first I was disappointed with the ending, it was a bit refreshing. Most books cover much more than just a weekend flashback in about 200 pages. So overall, I liked The Catcher in the Rye and recommend it for others to read also.
ReplyDeleteFaith Lee 5th Hour
I also liked reading it from the perspective of Holden. It was interesting hearing the voice of Holden through himself rather than from the point of view of someone else. I did not enjoy that the flashback of the three days was the whole book. Things seemed to drag on for me. It would have been nice to hear more about where he is in the mental institution than those three random days.
DeleteThe Catcher and the rye was a well written book, however it had a very pointless plot. I thought the book was alright and at some points I enjoyed reading it and didn’t want to put it down then at other points I just wanted to skip parts because it was so boring. It had many conflicts in it and probably the biggest conflict of them all would be his issue on deciding right and wrong and what he wants to make from his life. I didn’t like his writing style at all. I really did not find it appealing. I thought this book was kind of all over the place and he could never really decide what he wanted to have as the emotion for the writing. The ending was extremely poor too. I would have liked to find out where Holden was at least I think as readers we all would have liked that.
ReplyDelete~Tristan Urry 1st hour
Overall, I had mixed feelings about "The Catcher in the Rye". I enjoyed the book because i had never read any other story like it before. However, walking through the library or the book store, I would not pick up this book on my own because I don't think it would pull me in as something I would like to read. I found it hard to read with Holden constantly repeating himself and the fact that the book really had no story line. However, I did like the mood change you could see in Holden when writing about certain topics. For instance, when he would talk about Phoebe or Allie or Jane compared to how he would talk about Ackley or Stadlater. To be completely honest, I have no idea how this story relates to teenagers now, or how it even did when the book was written.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lizzie when she said she liked it when Holden had his mood changes. I like how he felt about Phoebe.
DeleteI agree with both Lizzie and Brooke when they say the liked Holden's mood changes. It was interesting to see how certain things affected him, and how easily they could change his mood.
DeleteI enjoyed The Catcher in the Rye quite a bit. Like others, my first thoughts on the plot are that it did not really have a point. But when you learn of Holden's wish to preserve childhood innocence by becoming the "catcher in the rye" the plot becomes slightly more clear. After having various experiences throughout the weekend Holden's character grows to this realization show in the ending scene with Pheobe. I did not enjoy the ending for climatic sake, but Salinger did not need to elaborate because he knew it would be unlike his character. I liked Salinger's writing because it made his characters more realistic. Overall I enjoyed the book dispite all of Holden's random, unexplained opinions.
ReplyDeleteKathrine Marous
2nd Hour
I did not enjoy "The Catcher and the Rye" at all. I never discovered what the plot actually was and to be honest never really knew what the purpose of this book was. J.D. Salinger used Holden as the typical teenager I think but he is not a typical teenager at all. Maybe its just me but I do not think most teenagers just leave their school to go to a big town, complain a lot, and have suicidal thoughts while being depressed. I also did not like it because I hated how Holden was always negative and a debbie downer. Maybe I am just too positive of a person but I thought Holdens negativity was just depressing. Lastly, I do not think this relates to teenagers today. I can not imagine who reads this book and thinks wow this really relates to my life and I am sorry for those people that do think it is relatible. So overall I can understand reading this because it is a "classic" piece of literature but I just fail to see how it became a "classic" to start with.
ReplyDeleteTom Kordupel
1st Hour
I strongly agree that this book is way past it's time. Maybe post war kids, who have seen more sad and devastating things, can relate with it, but I couldn't. Just because Holden has a mental condition he is not automatically "interesting". I think he's a very annoying person, whether he suffers from a medical condition or not.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAll I have been hearing this past month is how much everyone hated Holden and "The Catcher in the Rye." But now as I go through and read some of these comments, I notice how many people seemed to warm up to Holden and Salinger's writing. I really did enjoy the book, from beginning to end. That is, until chapter 25. I didn't like the very ending, as most people will agree. I feel that it left something to be desired. I would have wanted to know how Holden ended up in California, or if he ever got in touch with Jane, or what happened between him and his parents. But the ending was so abrupt, that I was just irritated to finish the book. But I still really enjoyed the book; I thought Holden was a great narrator, because he was an interesting character and I enjoyed being able to understand his thought process. I also thought that the theme of teen angst is still mostly relatable--to me at least. I understood Holden's anger with all of the people who pretend to be something they're not and who change themselves for others. I thought his "digressions" when he talked were interesting, not annoying. I loved the symbolism of Holden being the catcher in the rye, and how he wants to protect the innocence of his sister and all children. Overall, Holden's characteristics and values were my favorite part of the book.
ReplyDeleteOver all I did not really enjoy this book. It seemed very boring to me while I was reading it. I kept waiting for something exciting or eventful to happen, but it never did. This book was very bland to me. The book as a whole seemed to have no point. If there was a point that was trying to be made I missed it. A good part of the book would have to be that you are told how Holden feels through out the book. You are not left with any loose ends when it comes to how Holden feels. Besides that, I really didn't find anything to enjoyable about the book. This was the first time I have experienced reading a book written this way, so I guess it was good to open my eyes to this type of writing that Salinger does.
ReplyDeleteA positive thing about this book is that the reader is given very good insight into the main character, Holden. His thoughts are never a mystery to us so we aren't left wondering why he did something. On the other hand, the writing style of Salinger distracted me from the plot and point of the book. His many repeated phrases and italisized words were very distracting and kept removing me from the story instead of pulling me in. Tools like the italics should be used much more sparingly because they stick out and are unneccessary almost all of the time. There are countless pieces of evidence that show his overuse of the italics throughout the book. All in all I didn't enjoy the book. I felt no connection to Holden and never found myself caring in the least what would happen to him. I would rather have had him die in a tragic accident in the end; at least one chapter would have been interesting.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of Holden dying at the end, it would have left us with a little more.
DeleteOver all, this book was not my favorite. I like to read, and I like books, but this one just didn't grab me. To me it seemed when Holden wasn't complaining about someone or something, or being depressed, which was most of the time, he was looking for something to clear up his constant boredom, which in turn led to more complaining or being depressed. It was all very repetitive, and nothing got accomplished, and he left everything he did very half strung. I mean, look at the ending for goodness sake! It looked like it was going to be a nice wrap up of everything, but then it hit a wall. Just ended, nothing clearing up anything. It was very disappointing ending. On the other hand, it was still an informative book, and I felt that it still connects to reality and high schools. It was well written, and I liked the writing style that he used, it helped remember and connect to the reading better, because it seemed to be more conversational with himself then just telling how it is.
ReplyDeleteI guess overall I did not like the book. The beginning was interesting and kept you on your toes, but after that it was bland to say the least. One good thing about the book was to see that no matter what time period it is teenagers go through the same things in there lives. What I mean is the book shows and tells that teenagers have it rough, and think the world is out to get them. I went through a phase like Holden, and I’m sure millions have. So that was the good thing in my eyes. The bad thing about the book to me was the just endless page after page of nothing happening. After he leaves the school literally nothing happens. I am a person that likes action or adventure and there was next to none in the book. All and all like I stated earlier I truly didn’t like the book, but I don’t want people to turn the other way because I said so. It truly was a well written book just not for me.
ReplyDeleteOne good thing about Catcher in the Rye was that it was one of those books that everyone reads at some point and it wasn't completely unbearable, like Lord of the Flies. I could at least get through it and not hate everything about it. One thing I disliked about the book was the plot and how its only three days of a boys life. It seemed strange to me. I also didn't like the negative attitude of Holden throughout the book. I didn't like how much symbolism Salinger used probably because most of it seemed unintended. Overall I would say its one of the books I wouldn't recommend to a friend. The book may appeal to some adults but I think its past its time for kids/teens now, like Carter mentioned.
ReplyDelete1st hour
I feel fairly indifferent about the book. I liked that the story was narrated by Holden so that we got a direct look at his thoughts; it made it very easy to understand Holden. Also, I didn't mind the plot. The fact that the plot wasn't anything "flashy" and instead was a simple three day walkthrough made this book different than others; it showed how simple events can change a character which made is relatable because of the realism.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the book "The Catcher and the Rye". Its different then other books I've read. I liked how Holden talked. I really did. I thought it made the book fun to read because it felt like a conversation to me. Holden's vocabulary was different, and it took me a couple chapters to get use to, but I thought it made me connect with him as if I knew him. This book is good for high schoolers because it relates to education and how it impacts your life.
ReplyDeleteI agree one hundred percent. The vocabulary was hard to get used to but once you did it was one of the better parts of the novel. I also think it can relate to education because everyone has a little part of them that would like to give up and just fail like Holden did.
DeleteYou said "I like how Holden talked. I really did", which I thought was ironic because that is the way Holden would say it. You just may be a Salinger yourself Emily!
DeleteI personally was not a big fan of "The Catcher and the Rye". After some time I found myself waiting for something interesting to happen, but it never did. The whole story was just Holdend babbling on and on about who he does and doesn't like. We only got Holden's feel on everything. I got very bored reading this book and I had to make myself read instead of wanting to read the book like everyother books I've read.
ReplyDeleteI also got bored with the book. How Holden just wouldn't stop talking about how everything depresses him. I just wanted to put it down.
DeleteThe Cather in the Rye was a very interesting book. It's one of thoughs books that does not have a plot but still keeps you on your toes and excited to flip to the next page. I actually think a book like this is better then a normal book because there is no plot and you dont really know what could happen next. Holden was an interesting character and really had it out for people. I like how the author wrote the book out of just one weekend and not months or years because you really get the feel for the character and what is going on in the book. There to much jumping around in other books I wish more books had shorter time spans. The only thing i did not like about this book was how it ended. If Holden would have told us how he got to California and what had happened between the end of the book and him in a mental hospital I would have been a much happier read. Overall though I really enjoyed reading this book.
ReplyDeleteShane Skorupski
2nd hour
I agree with you that The Catcher In The Rye really has no plot to it.
DeleteI hate to say it, but I really didn't enjoy Catcher in the Rye. I mean I'll admit it was a pretty interesting book. And by that I mean reading through Holden's perspective. He has a lot of odd and negative views on most things. Though the fact that the book didn't really have a plot at all is what bothered me the most. I like to read for the purpose of having to think and to figure out what's going to happen next, and I couldn't do that with this book. It was just a detailed description of a weekend in New York City, and that really didn't appeal to me too much. Most of the comments say how this book is somehow relate-able to them, but I couldn't disagree more. I think that this book and Holden's character are much different than how teenagers view the world, in my opinion anyway.
ReplyDeleteI have mixed emotions on Cather in the Rye. It was interesting at some points, but I felt confused at other times. I will say that this book reminded me of The Outsiders. The way both novels were written was very similar. It was confusing to follow the plot and Holden's thought process. I disagree with others when they say this book was relate-able to teenagers today. I feel like Catcher in the Rye was just a story about a boy named Holden and how crumby his life is.
ReplyDeleteEmily Blahnik
5th Hour
I think Catcher in the Rye was a terrible book with no point or symbolism. I don't know why it is considered classic literature. All classic books seem to be terrible. I liked nothing about the book. I didn't have a least favorite part either, it was just all terrible.
ReplyDeleteAs many of my classmates seem to, I have mixed feelings when it comes to Catcher in the Rye. I'm the kind of person that will read anything, because I want to know what happens in the story! And even though I know that it doesn't always happen in real life, I like a happy ending, where problems are resolved, or at least where you can find out what actually happens to the character in the end. I liked a lot of the writing in this book, but Holden as a character annoyed me at times with all of his complaining about everything in his life and all the "phonies". I agree with what Shannon said about the "phonies" seeming to just be people that were happy when Holden wasn't, or just people that act in a different way than him. I did feel for Holden. If my brother died and I went through all the things he did, I would probably be pretty messed up too. I was rooting for Holden and I wish that Salinger could have told us what happened to him, how he ended up in the mental hospital, and all that jazz.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of the other people above me in saying that the plot of this story was terrible. That is the negative part of the book to me. It really wasn't a "madman weekend" but rather aan alcoholic teen trying to survive a few nights by himself. At first I was also shocked in that this book is so popular, I mean how could such a bland book be so popular? But the book has an over arching theme that gets to most everyone on this planet I suppose. What am I here for? The book is one depressed teen in a transitional stage in his life asking that exact question of himself. I think that is why it appeals to so many people.Everyone has their own perspective on life itself and J.D.Salinger addresses this in his writing style because it is so up front i guess I'd say. I think this book gets people to realize their own thinking about others because it over-emphasizes Holden's feelings about others. I can't really spit out what I'm trying to say so I'll just settle with the positive part of the book was the way it put some things in perspective. I didn't love nor hate this book but I did think that it was interesting. -Adam Roberge 1st Hour
ReplyDeleteCertain parts of Catcher in the Rye were interesting and kept my attention very well. For example, his whole first night in New York when he went to the Lavender Room and went dancing, that part of the narrative kept me focused and I enjoyed it. As the book went on however, I slowly grew to hate Holden as a person. All he did for a great majority of the book was complain about phonies, even though he himself was a phony. I understand that this is some great ironic metaphor and a literary tool used by Salinger, but it didn't create a great environment in the novel. Overall I enjoyed Catcher though and thought that it was very interesting and creative for only being about a single weekend.
ReplyDeleteKyle Edwards
5th hour
I read this book a couple years ago, and the first time I read it, I absolutely hated it. It didn't have a plot and I couldn't relate to Holden at all. I kept thinking it would pick up, but it just didn't. However, while it's still not my favorite book, I could relate to it a little bit more. I have one friend whom I constantly compared Holden to, and it was eerily similar. So this time with that comparison I guess it was more interesting, but I still didn't love it.
ReplyDeleteI started out liking The Catcher in the Rye, how the whole book was from Holden's perspective and how he spoke. However, Holden's depressing attitude got old after a while. How everything and everyone around him made him depressed. It became whiney at times and I just wanted to stop reading. I did like how the book didn't end on a depressing note though. I liked that at his lowest point when he just feels like up and leaving, he finds his happiness in something as simple as watching his sister ride the carousal.
ReplyDeleteAt first I did enjoy reading The Catcher In The Rye. The beginning peaked my interset and i was able to read the book with know problems. Overall though i really did not enjoy reading this book. I really started to get annoyed with holdens depression. Also I really didn't think that the nook had any reasl plot to it. It was just about some guy wondering the streets of New York looking for thinkgs to do so he won;t get in trouble by his parents till later. That is my overall opinion on The Catcher In The Rye.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first finished Catcher, I really didn't like it. I thought it was just about a bratty teenager that just can't grow up. But I'm having different thoughts now. Although in the story, Holden doesn't quite go through the worst possible scenarios, but he did deal with a lot of issues that were far out of his age and ability to handle them. I think this book is well structured, mostly just because I like that we, as an audience, look directly into his thoughts. But mostly, I think it just shows how the pressures of life and school can really get to a person. I would assume that the death of his brother, one of the only people in the book that he really cares for, has caused him a lot of grief and hardship. I would also assume that he doesn't have that support that most kids around here have. He never mentions having any type of significant relationship with his parents, which is somewhat relatable for me. He desires so badly to be an adult and escape the hardships of being a teen and the overwhelming emotions that come with it, but he's simply not old enough or mature enough to handle the adult world that he through himself into. In the end, I like the book now that I look past the annoying traits Holden has and actually see into the character he is.
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