A review by girlgetsbook
Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger

dark funny hopeful reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

My second Sallinger, not gonna lie I read it so I could get to Franny and Zooey which many people with tastes similar to mine recommend. However, I picked this up so I could read one short story every now and then and I couldn't put it down!!!! The coldest take ever, this Sallinger guy is going places. A collection of funny, witty, sad and tense stories, each packing a gut punch within only a few pages, Sallinger's writing is so classics beginner friendly and also non-native English speakers friendly as well. This book made me curious to find more short story collections that are highly praised because I absolutely loved the dopamine rush of finishing them every time. I absolutely loved A Perfect Day for Banana-fish, Down at the Dinghy and laughed so hard at the manic flailing teenage main character of De Daumier-Smith's Blue Period, they were 5 stars for me. I liked the rest too, but need to re-read it so I can appreciate Teddy after reflecting on it more. I think with time I'll appreciate the book more, this happened with The Catcher in the Rye for me and I can see it happening with this one. Overall a good reading experience. (Putting trigger warnings because this was published in the 50s so...).
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