Franny and Zooey

Always a Classic

Most people know J.D. Salinger and have read "Catcher in the Rye," but "Franny and Zooey" is a true gem. This is a small book about family and religious beliefs. This book will make you laugh out loud and cry. It is witty, funny and sad. If you want to see another side of J.D. Salinger, read this. I've read it a few times over the years and always find it new and enjoyable.

Franny comes home a changed woman, and it is discovered that she's had a breakdown. She has begun reciting the Lords Prayer over and over much to the dismay of her intellectual family. The way her parents and brother Zooey deal with this is amusing and touching. If you love a classic than this is one to read. Forget about "Catcher in the Rye," try this book that will touch your heart and your mind! After this you'll see J.D. Salinger in a whole new light.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

I just couldn't

get into it. The kids in this book were far to superior to relate too. Well I don't know if they were superior, but the author sure wants these people not to relate to anyone else. How can I be expected to relate to it. I felt Franny's part of the book was unnecessary as the lesson seemed to creep up in Zooey's half. At least I beleived it did because I couldn't exactly follow what that lesson was. How in the world am I suppose to take the lessons of this book in from characters I can't relate to and who seem to constantly be changing what they have to say. So why did I give it a 3 anyway. I love the way it was written! I just love older books language. I got to read describtions of objects and events and people in ways they just wouldn't be described in anymore.

Not Great...

To start out with I think I should say I am a huge JD Salinger fan. Catcher is one of my favorite books of all time and I love his short stories that are not found in books. The other stories that involve the Glass family are excellent! However... I think Franny and Zooey is one of the most boring books I have read in a long time. I had really high expectations, so that might have to do with my rating. This is not Salinger's best. It represents his writing style (an example would be italicizing for emphasis) and general writing attitude, but it doesn't have a stimulating plot or anything. You get introduced to some members of the Glass family and that is pretty much it. Don't form your opinion of JD Salinger from this book. Read some unpublished short stories of his such as 'Both Parties Concerned' and 'Elaine'. He is great writer, this just is not his best.

suprisingly lovely

I absolutely hated Catcher in the Rye, thus was somewhat apprehensive about reading this work of Salinger. However, a freind continued to assure me I would love it, and once I picked it up, I actually did. It does have that slight hint of whining that Holden did in Catcher but otherwise, this actually has a story line and a plot and a reason for being. It's touching and makes you think and gave me a little slice of compassion. Though I will admit, you have to be in a certain mood in order to read this. Do not come looking for a happy-go-lucky, marvellous adventure, but rather a healing bit of insight for those weary with life.

Catcher in the Rye, Part Deux

Franny and Zooey is a lesser version of Catcher in the Rye. The novel has charming and touching moments, but is dominated by plodding and pretentious passages. Storyline here is thin almost to the point of non-existent, and the bulk of the novel consists of discourse on literature, religion, and relationships. What Salinger has created 'again' is an observant, detailed, and thoughtful -- yet very dull-- portrayal of a dysfunctional Manhattan family. It takes a long time to make a humane point. If you're really going to read Franny & Zooey -- which you can make it through life happily without doing so -- start it on a Saturday morning so that you'll be finished by Sunday night. You can read it and still get all your errands/and or laundry done in one weekend. You can tell friends, 'I read the other Salinger novel this weekend,' and it will be true.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

I thought it'd be better...

I honestly thought this book would be fantastic, considering the great reviews and how the book was written by J.D. Salinger...but I was highly disapointed. It didn't keep me entertained. It just felt as if I was forcing myself to read it just to finish it. I didn't enjoy this book at all. But maybe you will.

Engaging

This novella reads more like a play than a piece of prose. The story, made up mainly of dialog between characters, is a loose commentary on religion and academia as well as an exploration of the emptiness and anxiety felt while growing up. Interesting about this story is its comparability to later novels centered on the disillusionment and misery of privileged kids (In Franny and Zooey, the Glass family were brainchildren made famous on TV). The characters aren't exactly what I would call likeable-- in fact you may find Zooey despicably cold and Franny to be simpering and pathetic. However, these characters are solid and you will find yourself uncontrollably turning the pages. Pretty riveting--a quick read that is melancholy and bittersweet.

Pretty Good

I wanted to read this book mainly because 'The Catcher in the Rye' was so excellent. So I guess I had great expectations for this book. It wasn't the best book I have read, but I would recommended it. Salinger is an amazing writer with his candid and witty humor.

So good

Everything about the book was just amazing. Salinger is simply awesome and so are his books!

Mundanely Profound

This book is wryly funny, incredibly intelligent, and mundanely profound. Salinger speaks of the same thoughts everyone has had, and brings to a very intellectual light the crises of growing up. You don't have to like the characters to empathize with them, and you don't have to be riveted by some superficial plot to stay interested. The sheer depth of symbolism and nuances of the Glass' 'esoteric family language' are enough to occupy a thinking mind for weeks at a time. Personally, 'Catcher' was ruined for me by a bad teacher, but 'Franny and Zooey' more than redeems Salinger in my eyes. In many ways it is harder to connect with the characters, but once that connection is made, you realize that the book has nearly infinite layers of meaning.

They could be Holden's cousins

Franny and Zooey is excellent. Even though the stories only take place in a few hours, the characters are extremely well-developed. This is my favorite kind of novel- the one where I get to know the characters so well. The dialogue, facial expressions, and pauses are so realistic, it's like one is right there with the characters in the room, seeing them act out this 'prose home movie,' as Buddy refers to it. It was excellent. Another interesting thing to me was how much the FRANNY part reminded me of THE BELL JAR- The Bell Jar is like a book that Franny would write about herself, because she's very similar in some ways to Sylvia Plath.

Franny and Zooey

Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger would be good for a person to read because of the depth you get in understanding of the personalities Salinger deals with. You become acquainted with their emotions, their desires, and their close family ties. You grasp on appreciation for their intellectual pursuits. When Buddy realized Zooey might not make it in theatre work, he encouraged him to prepare himself for more in college. Zooey helps Franny through her breakdown and helps her with her religious beliefs.

Precious.

Salinger's construction of Franny and Zooey -- characters whose vivid personalities and attitudes actually resonate -- through exquisitely chosen details shows a capacity for writing that is hard to imagine from a linear point-of-view. The fact that he can bring out mannerisms and insights into people that might as well be a well-rendered portrait of someone you know well, and still are as true today as they were 50 years ago, to me speaks as much to a brilliant insight into culture and people as it does the ability to write fiction. The only possible thing that might have made me want to stop turning the pages is that at some point the story is almost too perfect and cute, like an acting exercise, I just wanted to read the whole thesis and not just revel in his sublime little portrait.

Franny and Zooey

Franny and Zooey is an amazing and literate book, filled with wit and sophistication I've rarely seen in many books. Salinger is such a connoisseur of the english language. His prose is poignant and endearing, but harsh and revealing at the same time. He harnesses the ability to sound sarcastic and inadvertently judgemental without being pretentious or facetious. This book is extremely sanctimonious, but the religious paradigms are superceded by his amazing character development. These characters seem extremely down to earth, yet still possess the quality to be seen as role models. I loved this book so much, and I am extremely glad I chose it for summer reading.

a brilliant and unique novel

This novel consists of two parts, Franny and Zooey. In Franny, a disillusioned college girl, Franny, comes back to NY city on a vacation and goes on a date w/ her boyfriend, Lane. She eats nothing, is disturbed by a religious novel that she recently read, and expresses her discontent with life. In Zooey, her brother Zooey helps her to resolve the crisis at home. Although each part of the novel takes place within a few hours, the characters are extremely well developed are portrayed with such depth and realism that they must be from Salinger's life. In addition, the dialog is stirring and emotionaly charged as the charaters debate various philosophical points and express differing opinions on life. The novel is short, fast moving, and dynamic. It lacks the standard plot structure and is presented as a series of dialogs, in which the characters debate everything from religion to art, and most especially the meaning of life. If in the Catcher in the Rye Salinger is a confused but brilliant youth seeking answers and a sense of purpose, then in Franny and Zooey he has matured into a philosophical adult with a developed and astute view on life.

next book pls

i loved catcher in the rye, so i had high hopes for this book. however, F&Z did not live up to my expectations. when i'm reading a good book, it takes me a while to finish it because i try to relish the story. however, with this book, i was done just as soon as i picked. this is because i just wanted to put it down..and move on to a better one. nevertheless, i was able to appreciate the theology behind the story. since i have taken world religion in university, i had some ideas on the different religions explored in the book. but for people who haven't learned about hinduism or budhism ... the words upanishads, bodhisatvas, buddha-truth, and etc won't have meaning to you.

Great book!

I loved, loved, loved Franny and Zooey! It's a great book. I loved all the characters; Franny, Zooey, and even Lane! It's an awesome book. I highly recommend it!

Excellent book about basic theology

I really loved this book. The Franny part was the light, fast reading, the preamble. It almost has the relationship that a movie holds with the book it was based out of. Good, but not better by any means, and more directed as a clincher. The Zooey part, however, is art. It's witty, funny, insightful, plainly stated, easy to comprehend, wise and well written. Salinger is one of my favorite actors because of his critic spirit, and his lightheartedness despite of all the imbecility in this world. One thing people failed to mention, this book is a great deal about religion.

I have a crush on Zooey!

I enjoyed the second part of Franny and Zooey more than the first. After readinfg about Franny I almost didn't want to finish. However, i found Zooey to be considerably more interesting and witty, and it is worth it to continue reading just for the hysterical dialougue between him and Bessie.

First Taste of Salinger

I really enjoyed the "Franny" part of the book. Then I got to "Zooey". My first reaction was I couldn't stand his character. Then I realized I had a sort of love/hate relationship with him. I liked how he was just who he was and didn't really care. The only thing I didn't like about this book was that it ended too abruptly. I think there could have been more. All in all, I would recommend it.