Re: Universitatlity

    '... The book does not enjoy a universal and timeless appeal ...'

    No, but it does seem to be doing amazingly well.

    On BBC television, at present, they're running one of those ridiculous
    popularity contests for The Big Read. Various books are presented
    by their advocates & viewers are then invited to vote. The positions
    change a little from week to week - reflecting, I imagine, how recent
    the presentation & how seductive the presenter. The Catcher was offered
    quite a few weeks ago now - & by Ruby Wax, a strident Yank comedienne
    who turns off as many people as she turns on. Yet the book is firmly
retaining
    its hold somewhere in the top ten.

    What struck me, too, was that it was the only one of the group that had
    not enjoyed the popularity boost of a film. I don't know to what it
extent
    it has been familiarised by inclusion in school curricula. The Lord of
the Flies
    was for many years the Dept of Education's idea of adolescent bait - &
its
    performance has been abysmal to the point of invisibility.

    I'm a little nonplussed by Eeyore Kozusko's pessimism over its ever
    decreasing accessibility. I can tell you ALL about cocktails for two
    with Basie's trio tinkling in the background (I certainly don't have to
look
    up 'Smoke Gets in your Eyes' - I can sing you the entire lyric), & the
smell
    of the Satevpost & how my people regarded That Man in the White House
    & skating in the cold open air to Glen Miller's 'Darling, You & I' &
.....

    But then, I'm the only one of you buggers who can claim exact
contemporaneity
    with Holden himself.

    Scottie B.

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Received on Sun Dec 7 04:15:24 2003