valiah’s Reviews > Franny and Zooey > Status Update

"Sometimes I think that knowledge - when it's knowledge for knowledge's sake, anyway - is the worst of all. The least excusable, certainly."

"I don't know what good it is to know so much and be smart as whips and all if it doesn't make you happy."

the criticism that salinger 'loves his characters more than god does' (love that) is, to me, more valid in this novel than catcher, where holden (moreso) experiences reality & how it responds to regression. in this, franny's superiority complex isn't as critiqued as holden's was - it's almost written to be endearing, and to represent the world's one-dimension.

but yeah, i wish salinger clocked these characters more

franny's subtle elitism mixed with self-awareness and moral anxiety is so real unfortunately