Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger

Meet Author J.D. Salinger:

"Born in New York in 1919, Jerome David Salinger dropped out of several schools before enrolling in a writing class at Columbia University, publishing his first piece ("The Young Folks") in Story magazine. Soon after, the New Yorker picked up the heralded "A Perfect Day for Bananafish," and more pieces followed, including "Slight Rebellion off Madison" in 1941, an early Holden Caulfield story. Following a stint in Europe for World War II, Salinger returned to New York and began work on his signature novel, 1951's "The Catcher in the Rye," an immediate bestseller for its iconoclastic hero and forthright use of profanity. Following this success, Salinger retreated to his Cornish, New Hampshire, home where he grew increasingly private, eventually erecting a wall around his property and publishing just three more books: "Nine Stories," "Franny and Zooey," "Raise High the Roof Beam, and Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction." Salinger was married twice and had two children. He died of natural causes on January 27, 2010, in New Hampshire at the age of 91." ~Amazon

"Perhaps the best book by the foremost stylist of his generation" (New York Times), J. D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey collects two works of fiction about the Glass family originally published in The New Yorker.

"Everything everybody does is so--I don't know--not wrong, or even mean, or even stupid necessarily. But just so tiny and meaningless and--sad-making. And the worst part is, if you go bohemian or something crazy like that, you're conforming just as much only in a different way.

A novel in two halves, Franny and Zooey brilliantly captures the emotional strains and traumas of entering adulthood. It is a gleaming example of the wit, precision, and poignancy that have made J. D. Salinger one of America's most beloved writers." ~Amazon

Numeric Breakdown:
1: didn't like it/skip it
2: it was okay/it wasn't for me
3. liked it/worth a read
4. really liked it/loved it
5. it was amazing/must read!

J.D. Salinger creates a complicated work of family life.

By complicated, I mean, Franny and Zooey is a difficult two-hundred and two page book to muddle through. At first, I was interested in the arrival of Franny's train and curious about the boy waiting for her at the station. This interest took a steep turn into boredom and hostility. 

Franny's behavior was unusual and unexpected. I worried about her during the first forty-four pages of the book as it centered around her meal and conversation with the boyfriend. Lane Coutell immediately became uninteresting and annoying the moment he opened his mouth. An apparent self-absorbed character, he prattled on about his paper and the decision to have it published. Although I would have been captivated by the content and eager to learn more, Lane's snobby manner made me wish for this get together to end as soon as possible. 

Within this lengthy chapter, you know something isn't quite right with Franny, and you wonder if she's sick or found out she has an incurable disease or possibly pregnant. When she faints toward the end, you think you have it all figured out. However, the reader is in for a big surprise. 

The second section of the book introduces us to Zooey. You don't know who this person is until the narrator has a large discourse over the him and brings the reader into view of the home where Zooey is currently taking a bath. This change in voice and point of view is jarring and unappreciated to say the least. From here, you learn that Zooey is Franny's brother. He's a wanna-be actor with a cynical outlook and a snide conversational tone. Before long, you get to enjoy a long conference between him and his mother. The subject of most of this talk: Franny. 

As the story progresses, you find out that Zooey and Franny are the youngest of four. The eldest has committed suicide, and the next eldest brother is not a regular with the family. It's, also, revealed that the two older brothers are blamed for some sort of "indoctrination" or teaching of religious ways during Franny and Zooey's upbringing. As a result, Franny's current "breakdown" is in part blamed upon both of them, and the other blame goes to her religious professor and reading a book about a pilgrimage to learn how to pray unceasingly. 

Now, maybe I'm missing or skipping over some in-depth meaning or symbolism here, but I found this story to be exasperating, tiresome, and infuriating. I forced myself to finish it in an attempt to figure out what the author was trying to say. However, I'm not positive what the author is exactly attempting to convey. 

By reading the synopsis and reviews, I see Author J.D. Salinger used this book and others to share his own thoughts and philosophy about life. Franny and Zooey was a showcase of family and the tumultuous relationship between a brother and sister. Some might even say, it was an expression of belief in a higher power that can't be boiled down to a book or lesson or specific person's experience. I'm sure there is something in here for someone to debate or shine light upon, but the style in which it's dispatched is choppy, overanalyzed, and inconclusive. If Salinger wanted to show how inconsistent, uncertain, and confusing life and spiritual insight can be, then he might have just hit the nail on the head. Other than that, I have to confess this to be one of the most monotonous books I've ever read. 

For me, it wasn't entertaining. There wasn't any sort of understanding or development in the characters. Nothing was resolved in any way. Plus, the language in it (whether there's an argument for realism or not) was irritating and unnecessary. Each scene with Zooey and his mother was weird and unbearably unhelpful to read through. The relationship between the brother and sister remained stagnant, and both seemed to be so egotistical and possibly narcissistic as to not allow any type of change or growth. Which, I suppose, is a great portrayal of selfish individuals trying to figure out life and feeling as if they're the most intelligent people in any room; so, of course, they couldn't be wrong about anything. 

Perhaps, I'm taking this story all wrong and missing whatever point the author was trying to make. I know authors have a specific way of sharing their own insight, and I can say that Salinger is a master of dialogue and introspection. He, also, gives the reader an endeavor of thinking outside the box. In the spirit of respect, I commend Salinger for his attempts to get the reader to think of things through the eyes of his characters. He certainly shares an omniscient host of attitudes toward family, spiritual and religious beliefs, and relationships that could be dissected to the heart's content of any philosophy fan.

However, this person would not be me. Although I applaud Salinger's attempt, respect his devotion and hardwork, and feel a slight satisfaction of finishing a book on Rory Gilmore's to-read list as well as being Carrie Pilby's (book by Caren Lissner which was turned into a movie staring Bel Powley) favorite book, I can't say I felt any connection to the story. It held no attachment for me, and I can't say it's a book I would ever read again. With this being said, I'm giving this book a 2/5. Basically, "it wasn't for me," and I'd say skip it altogether, but Franny's beginning piece wasn't too bad. It might interest other readers, and therefore, I say give it a read. Please don't say I didn't warn you though. 

Thanks for joining me, and as always, Happy Reading!! :)

~Rebecca Reddell, Author