Re: Warren French
Tim O'Connor (oconnort@nyu.edu)
Wed, 02 Dec 1998 18:38:58 -0500
On Wed, Dec 02, 1998 at 05:06:30PM -0500, J J R wrote:
> This particular book reads like it was written by a book reviewer rather
> than a scholar. He's given scholarly status in the "about the author"
> part of the book--it refers to "graduate degrees" rather than just saying
> he got his PhD. And it gives a long list of colleges he's taught in.
> But, I'm sorry, the guy just plain sounds pretty stupid sometimes (in my
> opinion. At least, not professional).
Actually, Warren French is anything but stupid; he's an intelligent and
sensitive reader, and he writes criticism in good, plain English. I
have always found him to be a thoughtful reader and writer. I'm
surprised that you thought his book "not professional"; on the contrary,
he often seems to be sympathetic to his subject.
And I agree that he does a good job of portraying Salinger's increasing
withdrawal from "the world" (however one defines Salinger's world, then
and now).
But his is a fine basic intro to Salinger's work for a reader who is not
sure quite where to touch down, it's always seemed to me....
--tim