I think J.D. Salinger and I will make fast friends.

For someone who is a heavy reader and tends to read a lot of coming of age novels such as The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, Bless Me, Ultima, Perks of Being a Wallflower, etc., I have come across many great novels and many not-so-great novels. Even though I am quite young to say what are my favorite novels and what are not, I still believe that I have an opinion.

I prefer more modern takes on the idea of "coming of age" because let's face it, the way children grew up during the Gothic time period is totally different from the way kids grow up now. It is just like trying to compare yourself to Jane Eyre; maybe, we can find some characteristics, but the life pattern is just so different.

I want to discuss three of my favorite coming of age novels, which are The Fault in Our Stars, Perks of Being a Wallflower, and The Catcher in the Rye. However, I do not really consider The Fault in Our Stars as a coming of age novel, but the character does experience some life changes. All of these three novels have made me cried, not going to lie. In the novels The Fault in Our Stars and Perks of Being a Wallflower, I cried because I fell in love with the characters. But, it comes to the point in the novel where either the character dies or the character gets hurt, and that is why I cried. Hazel, Augustus, and Charlie are not perfect human beings, but at one point or another, I kind of wanted them to be my friend. It sounds a bit sad, but it is true.

In the novel The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is not the ideal protagonist. I believe that if we asked another author to put the character Holden Caulfield into another novel, that person may put him as the antagonist. He smokes, he drinks, he does all of those crazy things, but I feel empathy for him, not pity. I believe that J.D. Salinger is a genius for portraying Holden as a protagonist. Sure, there is alot of profanity in this novel, but I think without it, it would lose some of the special characteristics that make it such a perfect piece of writing (in my opinion). Not only that, but the book is effortless to read. It flows, unlike many that jump from one to the other (which makes a difficult for me to read). I cried because I could not figure Holden before and feel terrible because of that. Many people hate this novel, but I love it.

Here are some videos that reflect my opinions on the novels (though  not entirely)

The Fault in Our Stars Inspired Song
Awake My Soul by Mumford and Sons

Yes, today is a book day, hope you do not mind. What are thoughts on these three novels?

With love,

Violet Sar Bleu