J. D. Salinger was an American author who is best known for his novel CATHER IN THE RYE. I read Catcher several years ago and remember liking it but had never read anything else by him. Salinger wrote a number of short stories but after publishing Catcher he became reclusive. He is also a character in the novel SHOELESS JOE by W.P. Kinsella which is the basis for the movie Field of Dreams. I read and enjoyed that novel a few years ago and it did portray Salinger as very reclusive but how accurate this was I'm not sure.
Franny and Zooey is comprised of two stories that were originally published in the New Yorker in 1955 and 1957:
Franny tells the story of Franny Glass, Zooey's sister, a college student. The story takes place in an unnamed college town during Franny's weekend visit to her boyfriend Lane. Disenchanted with the selfishness and inauthenticity she perceives all around her, she aims to escape it through spiritual means. Zooey is set shortly after the events of Franny in the Glass family apartment in New York City's Upper East Side. While actor Zooey's younger sister Franny suffers a spiritual and existential breakdown in their parents' Manhattan living room, leaving their mother Bessie deeply concerned, Zooey comes to Franny's aid, offering what he thinks is brotherly love, understanding, and words of sage advice.
Salinger delved into various religions during his life. He practiced Zen Buddhism and later became an advocate of Hinduism. This is apparent from the novel that provides insights on various religions including Christianity. Salinger's prose was very specific and wordy in describing the surroundings and setting of the two stories. He goes into much detail in describing the New York apartment: "There was a Steinway grand piano (invariably kept open), three radios, a twenty-one-inch-screen television set, four table-model phonographs, cigarette and magazine tables galore, a ping pong table, . . . a fish tank, a love seat, . . . . " and on and on. Franny's mental breakdown in the novel reminded me somewhat of some of Shirley Jackson's early novels such as HANGSAMAN that tells of a young woman's psychosis at college.
I can see why this novel has been included on several must-read lists including the "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die." The writing is very descriptive but it tended to go overboard. I didn't really identify with the characters and thought they were mostly very pretentious and overbearing. Overall, I would only mildly recommend this and I was mostly underwhelmed by the story.
Franny and Zooey is comprised of two stories that were originally published in the New Yorker in 1955 and 1957:
Franny tells the story of Franny Glass, Zooey's sister, a college student. The story takes place in an unnamed college town during Franny's weekend visit to her boyfriend Lane. Disenchanted with the selfishness and inauthenticity she perceives all around her, she aims to escape it through spiritual means. Zooey is set shortly after the events of Franny in the Glass family apartment in New York City's Upper East Side. While actor Zooey's younger sister Franny suffers a spiritual and existential breakdown in their parents' Manhattan living room, leaving their mother Bessie deeply concerned, Zooey comes to Franny's aid, offering what he thinks is brotherly love, understanding, and words of sage advice.
Salinger delved into various religions during his life. He practiced Zen Buddhism and later became an advocate of Hinduism. This is apparent from the novel that provides insights on various religions including Christianity. Salinger's prose was very specific and wordy in describing the surroundings and setting of the two stories. He goes into much detail in describing the New York apartment: "There was a Steinway grand piano (invariably kept open), three radios, a twenty-one-inch-screen television set, four table-model phonographs, cigarette and magazine tables galore, a ping pong table, . . . a fish tank, a love seat, . . . . " and on and on. Franny's mental breakdown in the novel reminded me somewhat of some of Shirley Jackson's early novels such as HANGSAMAN that tells of a young woman's psychosis at college.
I can see why this novel has been included on several must-read lists including the "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die." The writing is very descriptive but it tended to go overboard. I didn't really identify with the characters and thought they were mostly very pretentious and overbearing. Overall, I would only mildly recommend this and I was mostly underwhelmed by the story.
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