I wrote last year about my rediscovery of Salinger's works - despited being disenchanted with his 'must read' Catcher in The Rye I gave him another chance with 'Rise High The Roof Beam Carpenters' which I fell totally in love with and eager to read more to I picked up a copy of Nine Stories.
The collection of short stories, originally published in magazines throughout the late 40s and 50s - showcase Salinger's unfaltering ability to captivate with his beautiful portrayals of seemingly normal, every day human interactions. What appears to be lighthearted social commentary in some stories, masks thought provoking and poignant moments which catch you completely of guard (you are distracted from Seymour's depression by his heartwarming playfulness with a young girl in 'A Perfect Day for Bananafish' for example) and startling revelations for his fascinating characters, his detailed observations of life's little moments and descriptions of individuals mannerisms bring his stories to life. In 'A Perfect Day for Bananafish', the first story in the collection (and probably my favourite) - I was reminded of the gentle beauty of Seymour Glass, such a wonderful character and one who I will probably spend the rest of my life trying to understand...
Another favourite from the collection is 'The Laughing Man' - you feel the anticipation for the the next installment of the 'The Laughing Man' story along with all the kids on the bus, my breath would catch each time 'The Chief' would turn around from his drivers seat and the story continued, an almost comic style adventure, with a Robin Hood-esque protagonist, disfigured as a baby by Chinese bandits who wears a mask of poppy petals to veil his face - it is simply amazing!
I could talk all day about each and every delightful tale, but shall let you discover those for yourself. Definitely another highly recommended book from us!
Much love,
Rhi xx
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