> Secondly, if his work IS a jigsaw puzzle, then ultimately that is true > for all writers. Kurt Vonnegut's body of work is a monument for me. > Each piece, each story, each novel makes me appreciate the others all > the more. Is he some kind of literary super-genius? No, it's just that > all of the work comes from the same man. Therefore, the more I read, > the better handle I have on his imagination and how his mind works. > Likewise, the jigsaw puzzle of Salinger's work is most likely not > planned, but a natural pheneomenon created with every prolific writer. > Just a thought. > > Thor > I think that it is important to remind that "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" was written (published) *before* the other books that allowed us some insight into and info about the lives of the Glass family so it does stand alone as a story. The ambiguity concering Seymour's troubles is part of what makes this such a compelling short story. This has probably been brought up before--and if it has, I apologize--but the similarities between "Bananafish" and the poem "Richard Cory" are more than slight--in my opinion. This is in no way to say that one influenced the other, just that they deal with the same subject in similar mysterious circumstances/reasons. I do think that the additional knowledge about the Glass family is interesting, but is it necessary to the story "A Perfect Day for Bananafish?" I don't think it is at all...it just offers some insight into the possible reasons for Seymour's unhappiness and ultimate decision. Lisa ********************************************************************** "You chose a giant step/Caught your eye/Guaranteed sweetness/That you thought broken/And you were not fine..." ---Guided By Voices