As one of those who eagerly awaited new releases by J. D. Salinger back in the dark ages of the 1960s after the oracular Catcher In The Rye, I was anxious to read this new biography of the writer.

Many of us may have misunderstood what Salinger was really saying in books like Catcher, Nine Stories, Franny and Zooey and others of the canon, and/or may have changed our minds about their importance if we bothered to re-read them with a more mature outlook. Still the author’s reclusiveness and ardent devotion to having his own way about his work retains a fascination.

Slawenski is the ultimate devoted fan and much he has to say must be taken with that in mind. Much of what he relates is already known and often he falls into the trap of speculation with no real evidence to back up his opinion.

True, some of his speculation is interesting and revealing about certain aspects of Salinger’s life which may not be familiar to some readers. This would include the chapters about his experiences in World War II and the possibility he suffered post-traumatic stress disorder and the potential influence of his obsessive spiritual delving on his work and lifestyle.

Though he allegedly continued writing up until his death a year ago, Salinger published nothing after 1965.