These Are My People
10 years ago
Friday, February 6, 2009
Nine Stories
I just finished reading the collection of nine short stories published by J.D. Salinger. Quite a while ago I read and enjoyed Catcher in the Rye but an article in the New York Times or on NPR, I cannot remember which, about Salinger reminded me that he actually had many other works I had never experienced. Anyway, I figured these would be great to read along with War & Peace because when I was feeling the need to actually finish something I could pick up a story and read it. These little gems are incredible portraits of a post World War II America trying to deal with the ramifications of the war, find its identity, adjust to its prosperity and regain its humanity. There are some stories with surprisingly abrupt tragic endings, but also stories with real hope embedded in them. Anyway, if you happen to be looking for quick enjoyable read or especially if you commute using public transportation, each story would be perfect for a subway or bus ride, so I highly recommend picking up a copy.
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I've always liked _A Perfect Day for Bananafish_. Have you read anything else by Salinger? I had a Salinger-crazy professor once who gave me a copy of everything he's ever written, including all these out-of-print, only-published-once, hard-to-find stories I'd never heard of before. They're pretty interesting, although I'm not sure they were all legally obtained. If you're interested remind me and you can read through them next time you're here.
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