Franny and Zooey - J.D. Salinger

This is J.D. Salinger's intricately descriptive story showing the relationship between two remarkably well sketched sibling characters. Broken into two different episodes, the reader is first introduced to Franny, the youngest of the seven famously precocious Glass children (also mentioned in a few of Salinger's Nine Stories and Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction), grown past her early genius into a beautiful and concerned 20-year-old undergraduate who's exposure to a mysterious religious text has left her teetering on the edge of a mental collapse. The second, much longer section - Zooey - picks up focus on the Glass family's youngest son, Franny's older brother. Zooey, 25, is an actor by trade. Through a conversation with the title characters' mother we discover Franny is home and indisposed. The story flows through beautifully realistic dialogue and though very little actually happens in the plot, enough is revealed about the characters to make this a compelling and entertaining read.

Worth Reading
3.5 out of 5
Buy this Book: Franny and Zooey

Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymor: an Introduction - JD Salinger

I was nearly finished with these two novellas before I realized that they were fiction - had it not been for a small disclaimer on the copyright page, I would have gone on believing it all to be fact. While fact or fiction makes little difference, my belief is testament to Salinger's uncanny ability to create true characters - his love and understanding of his subjects is present in every word and phrase. That said, these two pieces are essentially character sketches (or detailed compositions) rather than plot-driven stories. Differing greatly in style, both focus on Seymour, one of Salinger's most intriguing characters - an enigmatic, brilliant, rude, doomed young man, and member of the Glass family, which appears in many of the author's published works (which are few).

WORTH READING
3.5 out of 5
Buy this book: Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction