Re: BANANAFISH digest 108
Tim O'Connor (tim@roughdraft.org)
Wed, 24 Sep 1997 12:28:28 -0500
> I, too, barely was able to plow my way through Seymour: an Introduction
> the first time. Then I just finished reading it, two or three years after
> my first attempt, and I liked it a lot for some reason. Age? More
> familiarity with his work?
I suspect that you and your reading tastes matured. Starting with his
earlier books and working your way up to "Seymour," you build up an
immunity to the self-consciousness of that last work; Franny & Zooey and
"Raise High ..." get you acquainted with the narratives-within-narratives,
the stories embedded in other stories, and the obsessive listmaking detail.
By the way, when I say "you ... matured," it's not in a derogatory sense,
but rather refers to how many of us might first approach a nice piece of
ripe goat cheese. The first time, you swear that it smells like an old
pair of sneakers and you won't go near it, much less eat it. The next, you
taste a bit and declare a standoff. Eventually you put it on a sandwich and
realize that it gets pretty good with some tomato and a good piece of
bread. By the end they can't keep you away from the cheese.
And then there are people who simply loathe self-conscious writing, and
nothing one says can help them appreciate "Seymour," and that's something,
I guess, that we learn to live with. I have a friend who tossed the book
against the wall in impatience, but ... well ... we're still friends in
spite of that.
--tim o'connor