Re: Teddy and Booper
Camille Scaysbrook (verona_beach@hotpop.com)
Sun, 19 Sep 1999 15:23:26 +1000
> >Jim wrote:
> >
> >PS RE Inverted Forest...I just went to a friend's website and found out
> that
> >it's a reference in the Upanishads to the Universe -- whose roots are in
> >heaven and the branches/leaves are the earth. Sheesh...I never knew
that
> :)
>
>
>
> *THIS* is exciting news. I was under the vague impression JDS didn't
come
> to Vedanta until later, circa 1950. This puts us back to at least 1947.
> Thanks for posting this, Jim.
> --Bruce
As far as I knew Salinger's Eastern obsession dates almost from when he
came home from the war. Apparently there was a Sri Ramakrishna centre in
his neighbourhood. To me the interest must have come in the early to mid
forties because (and some of you may argue me on this, but anyway ...) I
can see its influence in Catcher, which was begun at around that time. The
residuals of it in that book are to my mind however those of an enthusiast
rather than an out-and-out fanatic.
I do agree that this discovery of a Vendantan angle on `The Inverted
Forest' is exciting though - which is made even more interesting by
addition to the already widespread interpretation of the title as a riposte
to Eliot's `Waste Land'. I did a special course on TS Eliot a few years
back and was struck by the similarity of his and Salinger's spiritual and
artistic journeys - both pursued Eastern religion after experiencing
nervous breakdowns following the war, and more notably, religion ultimately
forms the cornerstone of most of their work.
You know what - Will, are you still writing your book on Salinger? Because
I think none are better equipped to write the definitive tome on him than
our very own list members - we've come up with interpretations, insights
and revelations that most biographies and biographers could only dream of.
This new finding for example - that's never been anywhere before. Who's up
for it guys! We'll write our OWN `Salinger: A Critical and Personal
Portrait'!
Camille
verona_beach@hotpop.com