Re: Raise High the Roof

Brendan McKennedy (suburbantourist@hotmail.com)
Tue, 07 Apr 1998 20:28:41 -0700 (PDT)

>
>
> Brendan, you may be interested in an essay from Studies in Short 
Fiction
> by Eberhard Alsen called "RHTRBC and the Amateur Reader." Alsen works 
from
> the claim that RHTRBC is "the most story-like" of salinger's later, 
longer
> fiction as well. will


Thanks Will...unfortunately, I'm finished with the critics for awhile.  
I've spent many years away from them until last night, I decided to take 
a plunge and read the "Innocence Under Pressure" book by...oh, can't 
recall his name...and today I read a book examining the complete works 
of Sylvia Plath.  The "Catcher" book was better than the Plath book, but 
only because I agreed with it more.  The problem I have with the critics 
is that, when reading them, it only makes me want to go and read the 
text itself--which isn't bad, only I might as well skip the critic and 
go right to the text.

I realize that your livelihood rests on these criticisms, and I 
understand the value of them to the literary community...but personally, 
I'd rather read criticism in a forum format (i.e. *here*) than have a 
critic tell me "this is this" without the ability to respond.  Which is 
why, Will, I find you so valuable a contributor to this list.

Brendan

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