re: Universitatlity

         "Marcus writes: 'The book enjoys universal and timeless
          appeal (...)' "

    Well, it is not very clear what you mean by that, Marcus. If I,
    as a foreigner, am included in your universal enjoyability, then
    let me tell you what my experience was.

    I think that, in this case, too much attention is being paid to the
    reader's skills to conjure up some old context. All those details
    about New York were meaningless for me until I read Catcher.
    And they still are, except in reference to Holden. I didn't need to
    be versed in '30s slang or know where Bloomingdale was to feel
    that they meant something to him.

    It was probably the other way round and I got an idea of what
    they were, based on Holden's opinions and feelings. That is why
    this list is so interesting to me, being as it is full of New Yorkers
    brimming with a wondrous variety of different readings. But not
    that different.

    When I finally got to visit the Museum, I was transfixed by
    those Indians and their crazy canoe. Not that they were really
    important themselves – but they were a real projection of my
    literary self.

    Saludos,
    Diego D.

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Received on Sun Dec 7 22:36:09 2003