
Some of you may remember that I finally got around to reading "The Catcher In The Rye" last spring after years of people orgasming at even the slightest mention of it. I got the standard death-ray glances when I mentioned that I was 20 and still hadn't read this perennial coming of age novel and people constantly stopped me as I held it under my nose to ask me if it was changing my life. While it didn't necessarily revolutionize my thinking I appreciated it deeply and was stunned at how well Salinger was able to write with the voice of a young man. The story was simple but layered for more than you realize on first reading and I look forward to going back and reading it again in the near future.
One such person who stopped me while I was reading it threw me for a loop and said that he had enjoyed "Franny and Zooey" much more than "Catcher," which sent me headed to the bookstore to pick up this book I had never heard of. Of course it is common for one work of a writers' to overshadow the rest (or in this case only other) but I was curious to see what all the fuss was about. In my habitual way, I bought the book in May and stored it on my rapidly increasing bookshelf of unread adventures. Finally last week I decided it was time to get to know these Franny and Zooey folks and delved into Salinger's other work (which had originated as a series of essays in the New Yorker.)
Even more so than "Catcher" I was blown away by the writing in the book. While the story may seem even more mundane than "Catcher" when reading a plot outline, Salinger is able to infuse every details of the world he creates with vivid beauty. He doesn't just place you in a room, he traps you in it (in the best sense) until you know every crack of the wallpaper. Along with the intensely detailed descriptions he writes the most realistic conversations I have ever read. Interactions between Zooey and his mother or sister (Franny) seem as if they are literally happening in front of you. To be able to fill an entire story with a small number of conversations that you can peel back the layers to is wonderful to read. Not only are the actual words meaningful, but the ideas that the novel brings up about conformity and learning to accept the world without fighting it are timeless.
Some of the ideas presented by "Franny and Zooey" didn't become clear to me until looking back on it after I had finished but nothing could be as difficult to decipher as what I am currently delving into....Kafka.
When I was reading "Catcher" I wondered why no one had made a movie of it and was then informed that the Salinger estate is extremely adamant about movies not being made of his works. These two books (like some of the Beethoven music I have been listening to) are so perfect in their original form that I doubt anything more could be brought to them by attempting them in another way. In a world where surely a lot of money could be made turning these into films, it puts a smile on my face to know that some people stick to their artistic ground sometimes. Does anyone know how much truth this holds about the restrictions placed on the books? I'm fairly naive when it comes to my Salinger knowledge so forgive any misinformation.
I would love to hear what others thought of these two books!












