Subject: Re: bananafish-digest V1 #276 -Reply
From: LeeG (LeeG@taft.pvt.k12.ct.us)
Date: Sun Apr 20 1997 - 17:37:49 GMT
bananafish@cassatt.Mass-USR.COM,Internet writes:
>I don't want to come down hard on a fellow bananafish, but..... Mr.
>Caine, you have expressed a few opinions that ole Jerry wouldn't have
>been too fond of. This is not a malicious attempt to correct, but rather
>just a reminder of what you must already realize.
>
>The reason that all Salinger novels have that same non-descript cover is
>because the author hated, I repeat hated, paperbacks such as the one
>you mentioned. It was an unneccessary and obtrusive representation.
>For J.D., the reader-author relationship is a sacred one, not to be tainted
>by some artist commisioned by a publishing company to illustrate Holden
>Caulfield's scowl. And that tag line? "you may love this book or you may
>hate it. It may make you laugh or it may make you cry. But you will never
>forget." Can you see Holden liking that quote? Can you see Salinger
>liking that quote? That's as phony as anything in CITR.
>
>As for your desire for deep analysis of Holden's sexual fears and for
>further intricately worded commentary, may I recommend you read the
>dedication of RHTRBC.
>
>True, we stumble into the pitfall of over-analysis simply by subscribing to
>the bananafish list. But I justify myself by reasoning that this list is
>people who want to share their love for Salinger.
>
>I do not want to psychoanalyze Holden, or J.D. is there anything more
>frequently rejected in Salinger than psychoanalysis? Anyway.
But exactly. I nearly threw a fit when my English teacher, having heard I
loved JDS, suggested I read the bio because "of the author's amazing
persistence at getting at Salinger" and that we should have a talk someday and
analyze (i.e. tear to pieces) all of Salinger's works. I considered sending
him a copy of the RHTRB dedication, but as that would surely be considered
treasonous against the entire English department (here, at least), I decided
not to.
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