At 4:35 PM +0530 on 8/31/1999, you wrote: > I suspect I had read this particular piece in some anthology or the > other, but today while desultorily looking at the NYRB archives on the > web, I stumbled upon this 1963 review of RHTRB & S:AI which, IMESHO, > offers many a conversational theory ("sheer crap or priceless"): It's actually amusing in retrospect to read some of the contemporary reviews of Salinger. A lot of reviewers were what we might call "fuddy-duddy" about Catcher, and were aghast at Holden's language and general attitude. They lack any appreciation of the big picture, but of course they don't have our advantage of nearly a 50-year perspective on the book.... Also, after Catcher was a success, some of the cattier people were out gunning for him, as if they wanted him to flop badly. A strange thing, criticism. (Though, seriously, some of my friends are critics and forgive me for my raised eyebrow; one, who may well be reading this 8-), tried to convince me, when we were in college, that I didn't exist. I think I lost the argument, so I'm not sure who is typing this response.) --tim