Franny and Zooey JD Salinger

Title: Franny and Zooey
Author: JD Salinger
Yearly Count: 4
Rating: 4.5/5
Pages: 202

Challenges This book is in:
My Year of Reading Dangerously Challenge #1
Eponymous Challenge #1
Novella Challenge #1



I highly enjoyed this book, I enjoyed it so much that after reading it I did not have enough of Salinger so I went over to the public library and immediately borrowed Nine Stories and Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour , also by JD Salinger!
These stories were initially published in the NY Times, separately. They both involve Franny, who is eccentric and somewhat overwhelmed...really even overwhelming! However she is a blast to read about and the transitions she goes through from when the book starts to when it ends makes it comepletely worth the emotional wreck that this family is.

It is almost like I got what I did despite the fact that the book talks about a group of wonderbread kids who have life so easy that they try and make it complicated. I realised that I did have a hard time tolerating their fainting spells, and when they insulted their mamma and called her fat and such. I began to see them as more spoiled and less actually practising what they knew.

It seems that Salinger could have chosen to use these wealthy, upper class, wonderbreads because of the impact it could have on the reader. It is easier to take something from a preacher who you can see does not have it all together either, you can relate to him...and maybe that is why the author chose to do it that way. Maybe he was mocking the whole idea, as in these are they only type of people who can afford to mope around and recite little prayers....who knows what he meant to do...I do know what I got from it though. But the way the book is written I think almost every reader would get something slightly different. If I were you I'd give this one a try, it is really good.

Also reviewed by:
pussreboots Franny and Zooey

booking through thursday: favourite female character?

Q:Who is your favorite female lead character? And why? (And yes, of course, you can name more than one . . . I always have trouble narrowing down these things to one name, why should I force you to?)

Since I recently read Franny and Zooey, I'd say Franny is one of them. She is brilliant and at the same time a complete freak! I enjoyed the way Salinger created her, and how she came to be...even if at times she was a little extreme.

I am currently reading Anna Karenina and although she definitely is not my hero, I enjoy Kitty a lot. Her last name is some insane polish name, but whatever. I can relate to her, she is filled with confusion since her mother dictates to her, her father is disappointed in her, her suitor suddenly abandons her...and yet eventually she stays solid. I enjoy reading about her too.

I am sorry to say that I do not have any that come to mind immediately as being "The One" that I absolutely must write down. I wish I did, and I should...so I'll get to work on that in case this question ever comes around again!!!

Thanks for reading this!!

JD Salinger-Rated!

I have recently finished three of JD Salinger's books, and here they are with their ratings:
*Nine Stories 3.5/5
*Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters 4.5/5
*Franny and Zooey 5/5

I really enjoyed all three, but I think I overdid it on Salinger stuff in a row.

I recommend them all, some folk seem to not like that style of writing though...it is pretty precocious, just like his characters. It drew me in though, I didn't even have to work at it...it just happened.

Here is what I have to say about Franny and Zooey which is my favourite of the three books:

I enjoyed the book and the characters and all, but that was completely secondary to what I got out of the book. It is almost like I got what I did despite the fact that the book talks about a group of wonderbread kids who have life so easy that they try and make it complicated. I realised that I did have a hard time tolerating their fainting spells, and when they insulted their mamma and called her fat and such. I began to see them as more spoiled and less actually practising what they knew. So, like I said it is almost as if the donkey was speaking for me...like God used Zooey despite who he was, not because of who he was. I would argue that God does that with us all to a certain extent.

It seems that Salinger could have chosen to use these wealthy, upper class, wonderbreads because of the impact it could have on the reader. It is easier to take something from a preacher who you can see does not have it all together either, you can relate to him...and maybe that is why the author chose to do it that way. Maybe he was mocking the whole idea, as in these are they only type of people who can afford to mope around and recite little prayers....who knows what he meant to do...I do know what I got from it though. No matter what he meant, God spoke to me, even if it was through a talking donkey.