J.D. Salinger

by Warren G. French

Examines the American novelist's uneven career paying special attention to his tour de force, Catcher in the Rye

Genres: Literature

212 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1963

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

French seems to hate Seymour Glass, which has earned him the ire of Kenneth Slawenski, among others, but his critique of "The Inverted Forest," Salinger's strange, underread novella, and especially his work on "Down at the Dinghy" and "For Esmé, with Love and Squalor," are simply remarkable, some of the best criticism I've ever read. I've read those sections 10 or 11 times by now, and each time I come away renewed.

"Phony and Nice Worlds," his essay on "Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut," would be the first essay I assigned in a class about Salinger's short fiction; it's got a wonderful organizing principle.

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este livro consegue providenciar uma análise do conjunto de obras do autor, relacionando-as umas com as outras de modo a que seja possível ver o panorama geral. É uma boa fonte de análise para os temas principais que o preocupam e como estes se reflectem nas suas histórias, desde a mais conhecida aos pequenos contos publicados apenas em jornais ou revistas.

Apesar de não concordar inteiramente com alguns aspectos da análise (eu também pertenço ao culto do Seymour Glass e não o posso negar) acho que é uma excelente leitura para quem procurar saber mais sobre o Salinger.

[Robert Sperry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an interesting critique of the works of J.D. Salinger. It covers many of his more popular works such as Catcher in the Rye, and Franny and Zooey, but also many of his shorter, lesser know earlier works. I found it very insightful and would recommend it to any Salinger fans out there.