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