Re: just after the war with the eskimos

steven (byrds@papa.uncp.edu)
Sun, 30 Nov 1997 15:29:09 -0800 

Brendan McKennedy wrote:
> 
> Sorry about that last post, folks...
> A bit of a mix-up on my part.
> I'm new to this whole Internet thing...
> 
> While I'm in the Salinger sort of mood, I just thought I'd drop in another thought.
> 
> (Let me know when you all are sick of me, and I shall retire.)
> 
> Reading Catcher and all of the Glass stories is wonderful and immersive, and they
> certainly appeal most to me as a human being...
> But as a writer, I think Salinger's best stories are the ones no one talks about,
> i.e. Uncle Wiggly and especially Just Before the War With the Eskimos--particularly
> the latter.
> 
> Eskimos, I think, is the single most perfect short story I've ever read--in the same
> way that I believe To Kill a Mockingbird is the best novel I've read.  (Don't tie
> your nooses, friends, please; Catcher is a VERY close second.)
> 
> Salinger's craft as a writer is rarely discussed outside of the Glass stories, but
> if I'm not in the mood for painful humanity, the Glasses can frankly get on my Nerves.
> 
> I realize that Uncle Wiggly is a Glass story by association (where we finally find
> out how Walt died), but really it's just a good story about suburban madness--no
> previous knowledge or further reading necessary.
> 
> And Eskimos is brilliant.  It's light, concise, realistic, and isolated.
> 
> I don't know.  I'm just pontificating at this point, really.  But this is the first
> time I've been among those who love Salinger as much as I do.
> 
> I'd be interested to hear what everyone thinks.
> 
> B.McKennedy
> 
> Free web-based email, Forever, From anywhere!
> http://www.mailexcite.com
 
Amen, my friend, amen. The Glass stories are brilliant, without a doubt,
but there are tens or dozens of other great stories that Salinger has
written, that no one seems to really give a fair shake (most especially
the PUBLIC at hand; ie. the magazines and the johnny-come-latelys of the
literary world that scurry like rats to the "Zen based stories" that Mr.
Salinger has put out becaused they are "cool" and "trendy". I know that
probably sounds overly purist, and elitest as hell, but I don't mean it
to be, trust me.).

To get back to the point, there are other stories of his (Salinger's)
that are just plain GOOD STORIES, no esoteric subject matter or
malaise-filled child geniuses to worry about. Now don't get me wrong,
everyone needs their weekly fill of esoteric subject matter AND malaise,
but if a person can write about REAL LIFE (or surreal life) and make it
SPARKLE, make it SAY SOMETHING, then I'll take that over a glass house
any day. "Esme", "De Daumier", "Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes" (a
personal favourite) all do this, as do a lot of the underpublished
stories. 

Just a thought, I guess.
                                    
                             -steven