Re: Boston Globe's review of the Alexander bio

Camille Scaysbrook (verona_beach@hotpop.com)
Sun, 12 Sep 1999 21:10:22 +1000 

Well, I can't say I warmed to the idea of this biog. Like books about
Shakespeare, books about Salinger should have some new angle to justify
their existence and Salinger as Humbert Humbert just doesn't cut the
mustard. It's a very facile and - dare I say phoney? - view of JDS's work
to dump Esme, Phoebe and Sybil into the bulging Lolita File and to me
demonstrates a poor understanding of Salinger's use of such characters not
as beacons of depravity or corruption but of home and purity. 

>From what I can ascertain (and having not read the book I can only be
sketchy), nor does Alexander seem to address wider implications that his
theories might have, such as hints of having suffered sexual abuse
throughout `Catcher'. On the basis of his biography of Sylvia Plath `Rough
Magic' - a crude and nasty piece of work -  he seems like the sort of
journalist who pursues the `Theory first, evidence later' method of
reportage, which is an irresponsible form of writing. In the aforementioned
biography he elaborates and embellishes stories without a jot of regard for
anything but speculation, even adding spurious stories sourced from that
old favourite  A Confidential Source Close to the Couple. It's a hair's
breadth away from outright libel. For example, I was interested by:

>> After suffering a nervous breakdown at the end of his Army service in
World War II, Salinger has ''had trouble drawing distinctions between
himself and his creations, between his creations and the real people around
him.'' Or so Alexander claims. <<

But on what basis? I'd be interested to hear the proof, if any, of this,
because it would certainly throw some light on the inception of the Glass
family. Like the author of this review, I think Alexander strains
credibility to a great extent. Not to mention courting disaster - heck,
*I'd* sue if someone wrote a book accusing me of pedophilia on the sort of
evidence he's working with! However, I'd probably take a look at the book
just to see what else has come to light factually since Ian Hamilton's
book.

Camille
verona_beach@hotpop.com

> Sorry, that link doesn't work. Try:
> 
> 
> http://www.globe.com/globe/living/bookreviews/
> 
> 
> Then click on the Salinger link. Sorry for the inconvenience.
> 
> 
> D.
> 
> 
> 
> At 02:25 PM 9/10/99 -0400, you wrote:
> >For those who care to read:
> >
> >
>
>http://www.globe.com/dailyglobe2/252/living/Biography_probes_the_mystery_of
_
> >J_D_Salinger+.shtml
> >
> >
> >Happy reading,
> >
> >		D.
> >
> >
> >
> >