OK: J.D. Salinger...

[Medea]

Why do so many mumsnettersand British people in generalseem to dislike him?

I'm obsessed with his books and read them again and again, particularly 9 Stories and Franny & Zooey. He turned 90 last week; he's still in seclusion; I'm just DYING to know if he has some manuscripts locked away in a safe.

But everytime he's turned up on the adult fiction mumsnet topic he gets slated. Would love to know what you object to...

Because his books are an ode to vile American pretentiousness of a brand peculiarly distressing to British people of a certain disposition?

Actually I love JDSalinger and have read his books over and over. They are, to me, filled with hope for a better world and I find them quite uplifting. I don't quite know what Bluestocking is referring to.

I love him.

Describe vile American pretentiousness?

Americans object to a certain brand of British intellectual snobbery which they'd deem pretentious...

So what's the American version of pretentiousness from a Brit's eye? To me, Americans don't seem pretentious; they seem, on the contrary, maybe buffoonish and loud and materialistic, but actually quite "earnest" andin factthey themselves object to pretension because Americans in general are anti-elitism. (Think of typical middle America: absolutely no pretention there--just friendliness and an utter lack of irony.)

I think the GLASS family can come across as pretentious but the point is that they're weird and eccentric and ultra brilliant and, yes, spout pretentious stuff, but believe in authenticity. So please be more specific...

So glad you like him Jux and FiveGoMadInDorset, that's great.

He's hard to catergorize, particularly given the era in which much of his better-known work was published. I don't know how much of this is just him as a writer or the time and place in which he wrote much of his work.

As a result, his brand of story-telling and of expressing himself through writing stands somewhat apart from much of what was coming out of the UK at the same time.

This to me seems perhaps an explanation as to why he's reviled in some places?

I quite like him myself as well. I find him rather refreshing.

Yes but you're American expat! Although Salinger annoys lots of people in America, but they seem to appreciate him a bit more.

Having just sorted out my books, and my NY resolution is not to buy any more, I am starting to reread and he is on the pile.

Could it have something to do with the guy who didn't shoot Kennedy (and the guy who did shoot Lennon) were both reading him?

Whoa! I didn't say I felt like that - was merely offering a possible explanation. See comments on this Guardian blog.

Well, true, Medea. I do find the rather fatalistic view from Europe a bit hard to stomach.

sorry Bluestocking, were you aiming that at me? I had noted the question mark at the end of your sentence, I just didn't really understand what you were talking about. I didn't think it was your position though. Peace, love, calm etc. We have enough barneys going on on mn at the moment!

There's only one way to settle this - - FIGHT!

particularly loved CITR,read as a teen and it was so enthralling.friend read in late 20s thought it was teen angst egotistical

maybe an age and stage book

I didn't know lots of British readers don't like his books. Catcher in the Rye is OK but not my favourite but I love the short stories - especially the Glass family ones.

Is he reviled? I haven't really come across that. He's different, in a rather cynical way. In an outsider-ish way. Lots of people do not like cynicism and outsiderism much at all.

I first read CITR in my teens and loved it in a very quiet way; same with Sillitoe 'Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner'. I have read both many times since (though they've been in boxes for the last 13 years so not recently). I always feel the same way about them really, and get thrown back to that stage of my life. Maybe this long break will make a difference; am hoping to get my books back onto shelves and accessible this year!

I really enjoyed the cather in the rye when I read it at 16.

Bluestocking thanks so much for pointing out the Guardian article + blog; I look forward to trawling through that.

pointydog, although he's not being reviled in this particular discussion, you can't believe how many mumsnetters said they hated him in other threads over the years...I really found it so curious.

As for non-mumsnetter British people...I sent F&Z to a literary critic friend (he'd read other Salinger books but not F&Z) and he couldn't get beyond page 20...he said he found something repugnant and cliched about the college boy character being portrayed as unable to show emotion and reticent. Similarly I gave 2 friends here a stack of his books both said they couldn't get through any of them. It started to seem like a trend...a cultural divide or something.

Anyway I'll go look at that blog now, and check in later.

I loved CITR as a teen and would probably still enjoy it now - I must confess I found the Glasses a bit much but I do admire JDS's amazing craftsmanship as a writer. Medea, you might also like/be interested in this parody of CITR!

Oh that did make me grin Bluestocking. Great link and I've bookmarked it. Thanks.

i read catcher in the rye when i was about 21 i liked it in a far out trippy sort of book. like pink floyd

Is it really true that lots of Brits hate Salinger? I think he is fabulous. Haven't read the Glass family though.

american beat poets always came across as being loopy maybe