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Surprisingly before this year, I had never read this book. Earlier this year, the writer probably made most famous by this novel died and a couple of weeks later I picked up a cheap copy of this book at a local second-hand book shop. I had previously read Franny and Zooey which I would go as far to say that I enjoyed slightly more. Nonetheless, this book remains a classic and it is easy to see why.
It tells the story of Holden Caulfield, a young man expelled from prep school who runs away to spend time by himself in New York, preferring that to facing his parents. We learn early on about the death of Holden's brother which continues to trouble him, as well as his troubling life experiences and propensity to lie. Holden masks his troubled past with a gruff manner as he struggles to get back the innocence he lost when his brother died.
There is no doubt that this is an amazing work of literature. Holden likely stands as one of the most loved fictional characters of all time. Most people are able to comprehend and associate on some level with Holden and his want for the innocence of childhood to return. This is a stellar book with a brilliant character and excellent prose. I'd recommend it to everyone.
This book didn't disappoint me so much as it was not what I expected, mainly because I had no idea what to expect. It wasn't so much a novel as a couple of character sketches. They were amazing of course but I really think I needed to read something else by this author first.
Franny and Zooey are a sister and brother (yes Zooey is a boy), both part of the Glass family that apparently features in many of Salinger's works. The seven member family were all childhood stars on a TV show answering questions about philosophy. This early fame appears to have led to emotional distress in many members of the family.
Franny is a teenager who shuns the upper-middle-class life of her classmates and seeks instead to repeat the 'Jesus prayer' which will bring you closer to the grace and peace of Jesus. The smaller section of the story about her contains a dinner with her boyfriend, where she tries to explain away the precociousness of the life they lead, he becomes increasingly aggravated and worried about her as a result of what seems to him a change in her attitudes as a result of this book she carries around.
Zooey is slightly (at least on the surface) more emotionally balanced, he tries to have a conversation with Franny when she returns home after her nervous breakdown. His character is brilliantly displayed: blunt, extremely intelligent, loving, tenacious and sly. I don't want to say too much more or I will spoil the story.
The characters are done brilliantly and I really feel like I want to know more about this family so I'm glad there are apparently other books out about them. I might next try The Catcher in the Rye as it's probably the one I should have read first anyway!
I wouldn't recommend it as a first Salinger book as it confused me and was quite short and sort of left me begging. I wouldn't call it so much a novel as more a couple of character sketches which wasn't what I was expecting.
One more and I've caught up:
Siddhartha, Demian and other writings by Hermann Hesse.
