A review by dschuettinger
Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger

3.0

It saddens me that these two short works were the planned beginnings of a series of stories surrounding the Glass family. You can almost forgive the missed opportunities at turning these two dimensional characters into something more robust. Reading the subtle hints at back story, I felt let down that further development wasn't given to certain arcs. Why did eldest brother Seymour kill himself? What was the story surrounding the radio appearances of the Glass children? Why do Franny and Zooey blame their older brothers for "making them freaks"? It reads like Salinger is using these two characters to have a existential and theological debate with himself, and it comes off at times as negligently self indulgent. Which is not to say I disliked the book. It just seems like it would have been a great jumping off point for a rich tapestry that Salinger never bothered to finish. Perhaps some answers lie in "Raise High the Roof Beam..." We'll see.