Why (NOT) Read Biographies?


Subject: Why (NOT) Read Biographies?
From: Bernd Wahlbrinck (Bernd.Wahlbrinck@t-online.de)
Date: Sat Nov 04 2000 - 10:23:31 GMT


Bernd Wahlbrinck 04.11.2000
email: Bernd.Wahlbrinck@t-online.de OR bernd@wahlbrinck.de
Germany, Home of the Wadel
______________________________________________________________________
______
Hello
I have to admit I could not read all of the discussion concerning THE
DREAM CATCHER, but I did have an uneasy feeling about the whole
thing.
That is why I added the following item to my Catcher site (yes, I am
quoting myself here ;-) - which might interest some of you fishes...:
*****************************************************
Why (NOT) Read Biographies?

   I used to be very interested in biographical information
concerning Salinger. In fact, Ian Hamilton's In Search of J.D.
Salinger, first published in 1988, offers remarkable details about
him, especially regarding parallels between the author and his
protagonist Holden Caulfield. Thus this kind of extrinsic approach
can easily expand your view of the novel itself and contribute to a
better understanding of various aspects.

   However, since the publication of Margaret Salinger's Dream
Catcher in September 2000 I have begun to change my mind. According
to amazon.com, she writes in the introduction: "I grew up in a world
both terrible and beautiful, and grossly out of balance." She
continues: "My father, a writer of fiction, is a dreamer who barely
can tie his own shoelaces in the real world, let alone warn his
daughter she might stumble and fall. In real life, when he chooses to
make himself available, he can be funny, intensely loving, and the
person you most want to be with." However, she adds: "To get in the
way of his work, to interrupt the holy quest, is to commit sacrilege."

   So far, so good. But after reading about other details on the
Bananafish Mailing List - e.g. that Salinger used to drink his own
urine etc - I more and more got the feeling that it might not be such
a brilliant idea to go and buy the book in the first place. Here are
2 reasons:
   1. What makes us think that we have the right to learn about very
intimate aspects of a person, especially if we know for sure that
this person does not want us to know about these things?
   2. I have a hunch that after reading such a book, chances are the
negative or strange views you get of the author will somehow rub off
on his protagonist Holden Caulfield. I mean, I have the feeling that
while reading CR you just cannot help thinking of those weird things
at the same time, which will not exactly enhance the joy of reading...
   What do you think?!
***********************************************
Bernie
______________________________________________________________________
____
Come to think of it, why don't you take a trip to my website:
"THE CATCHER IN THE RYE by J.D.Salinger - and related matters"
url: http://mitglied.tripod.de/BerndWahlbrinck/index.htm

-
* Unsubscribing? Mail majordomo@roughdraft.org with the message
* UNSUBSCRIBE BANANAFISH



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b25 : Sun Dec 17 2000 - 17:06:19 GMT