Re: _The Bell Jar_ & 50s writing & stuff like that.

Patti Larrabee (Patti.Larrabee@hsc.utah.edu)
Fri, 06 Nov 1998 09:06:25 -0700

Dave, Have you read "The man in the grey flannel suit"?  This might have =
the style you are referring to, and a very good book in my opinion.
Patti

>>> Dave Koch <dkoch@sas.upenn.edu> 11/06 6:36 AM >>>
Hello everyone --

I just finished reading _The Bell Jar_ for the first time (some things you
just never get around to reading for one reason or another, even though =
you
know you should, and once you finally *do* get around to reading them you
walk around for weeks, or I do, at least, kicking yourself for not having
read them earlier).  I loved it, a big, opened arms, carry it around in my
back pocket kind of love -- but not for any good, *legitimate* reason =
(like
the plot and what it has got to say about the human condition, &c).  I did
like it for all those legitimate reasons, but I sort of fell in love with
it for its style, its voice, and all that.  And, dare I say it here, I
thought the whole time I was reading it that it was very very Salinger in =
a
way (no, of course, not as good, but very similar nonetheless).

Here are my questions for the group:

First, I've come to the shaky conclusion that there's something very 1950s
about this style (or voice) that I'm talking about, and I can't really put
my finger on it at all.  Since you all are always so articulate and witty
and informative, I was wondering if any of you could sort of explain this
to me.  (I've been walking around for a month or so with this sort of
soothing hatred of John Glenn building in the pit of my stomach and then
the NYT articulated exactly why in an editorial last week; I hope the same
kind of thing will happen here, too.)

And, number two, what other books (not necessarily written in the 50s, of
course) have this 1950s style that I'm talking about here (but can't
explain)?


-- Dave Koch