The Opposition…

Salinger

David Shields,

Shane Salerno

Discussion: 2013-Jul-Aug-Sep

Why we're reading this: September 10, 2013 (Shane Salerno guest)
[close] September 10, 2013 (Shane Salerno guest)

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 3 topics — 3 comments total

2013-Jul-Aug-Sep

This topic has been closed to new comments.

* September 2013
By Tiffany , WristStrong · 1 post · 32 views

last updated Oct 01, 2013 03:57PM

* August 2013
By Tiffany , WristStrong · 1 post · 26 views

last updated Aug 20, 2013 06:06PM

What Members Thought

Jul 06, 2020 Tiffany rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: covid-lockdown-2020, bio_autobio, oral-history

This is an AMAZING oral history of J.D. Salinger's life, from childhood to reclusiveness, told by family members, friends from the military, friends and friends of friends, other celebrities' biographers, letters Salinger himself wrote, etc., and two men (Shields and Salerno) who did a TON of work.

This book (supposedly) tells the true story of Salinger's life, setting the story straight and pointing out myths/falsehoods/incorrect stories that others have told. I trust that Shields and Salerno ha This is an AMAZING oral history of J.D. Salinger's life, from childhood to reclusiveness, told by family members, friends from the military, friends and friends of friends, other celebrities' biographers, letters Salinger himself wrote, etc., and two men (Shields and Salerno) who did a TON of work.

This book (supposedly) tells the true story of Salinger's life, setting the story straight and pointing out myths/falsehoods/incorrect stories that others have told. I trust that Shields and Salerno have done their homework -- and by the list of interviews and sources, it looks like A LOT of homework -- but it still makes you wonder: this guy who didn't want to be known by the public, and who everyone supposedly has a story about... maybe even *this* version is wrong. (He's like Michael Stipe: he's told so many stories/different versions, who even knows for sure anymore what the true version is, including himself and his family?)

I do like that it's pointed out a couple of times that Salinger wasn't perhaps really looking for the reclusive life that he claimed: for example, he had a mailbox with his name on it (p. 449). If you really wanted to be left alone and didn't want people to know where you live, you wouldn't have your name on your mailbox, you'd just have the number. Also, if he wanted to be left alone, why did he agree to meet certain random people (journalists, writers, kids)?

Since it's laid out more-or-less chronologically, there are a number of references to what Salinger was writing/publishing at such-and-such time, and comments about so-and-so character was based on this person. After some time of this, I decided I should re-read his short stories after I finish this (I've re-read Catcher in the Rye too recently to want to re-read it again already); after a while more of reading, I decided to read the short stories as they fall in with the biography, so even though it looks like it took me quite a while to read this book, it's in part because I was sprinkling in the short stories as I went. (The other part is just because life got in the way.) This was actually a pretty quick read for me when I was able to devote time to it. And I'm kind of enjoying reading them this way: I'm making connections that I might have forgotten if I'd waited to read the short stories after I'd completed the biography. And I always wondered why Salinger's stories had little quirks -- like fascination with death and kids...and kids' ankles -- but now it makes sense (view spoiler) I'm not sure I completely buy Shields/Salerno's theory (view spoiler) ...more

1 like · Like · see review