Rating: 
Summary: A great intro to robot science fiction!
Review: This is a great book about two robots who become enotionally attatched to one another! It doesn't say anywhere is the book that they are robots, but if you're smart, you just know they are.I would consider this Salinger's best work, and definately his most daring, as he steps out into the realm of robots and artificial intelligence. This book is moving, and makes one wonder about the future of robots and computers and Bill Cosby even makes a Cameo (They never tell you it's Bill Cosby though, they just say it's some guy).
Rating:
Summary: Franny IS pregnant
Review: The subtext of "Franny" (the first half of the book) IS that Franny's pregnant. Salinger dropped subtle hints: refusing a second Martini, milk, nausea, the nervous breakdown. There has to be an inciting incident which is elusive. But Shawna Hilferty's comment (which most people found "not helpful") is a well-supported one. See below.
Rating: 
Summary: Catch Her In The Rye
Review: People tend to disapear in Salinger's works, which makes the author's literary exile that much more ironic, if not compelling. Franny, the youngest of two females in the Glass family, is about to disappear, into the back of her parent's couch, during her 'spiritual crisis'. What keeps Franny from being self-involved, is that she is so concerned with humanity on a religious level, and that her ambivalence stems not from her thinking she is morally superior, but conversely, that she feels just as hypocritical and shallow as the rest of humanity, and that she cannot transcend it. What makes Salinger so enjoyable, and important, is the hand's on, non-academic philosophy in his books, and "Franny and Zooey" is most indicative of that. The novel addresses the disparities between Christianity and Buddhism, Western and Eastern thought. Franny idolizes Jesus, he has become a rock star to a little girl, with his bare-chested starving and dying. Like Holden, she shuns the phony and the arrogant. Zooey, her older brother, bitter at Seymour and Buddy (the eldest Glass bothers) for 'brainwashing' the younger two at an early age, plays devil's advocate perhaps a little too harsh, telling Franny to get over it, that she too is hypocrite, just another ego attached to their beliefs. When Franny goes overboard with tears and derision, Zooey calls Franny on the phone, pretending that he's Buddy. Buddy's tone is more gentle, more understanding. He tells Franny to love God but not religion. "Do it for the Fat Lady," He says. A sublime scene involving three family members and two voices. The Fat Lady is Jesus Christ himself- not the icon, not the ideology- but the mortal man who died and did not rise again. As secular as this last note may seem, readers will let go of the last page having just underwent a 'religious experience.'
Rating:
Summary: J.D. Salinger again proves he is a genius.
Review: J.D.Salinger's stories have one main common theme that I've noticed, nothing happens. In "Franny and Zooey" Salinger crafts another masterwork where not much happens. If he were a filmmaker, he would not have say...explosions in his films. Although he will always be known for "Catcher In The Rye", "Franny and Zooey" should be read by anyone who appreciates his work. "Franny and Zooey" are two short stories that originally appeared in the New Yorker Magazine. The entire two stories build up to a single conversation that is poetic, philisophical, intelligent, insightful and moving just to start. His use of personality is incredible. A reader really connects with these characters and understands who they are. It is hard to describe really , my advise is to read it yourself.
Rating: 
Summary: The rabbit done died
Review: I am perplexed by how every review I have read misses the obvious. Franny is pregnant. If she is pregnant, her search for the meaning of her curtailed life in the pre-abortion 1950s makes sense. And her self-crisis is palatable. Her aspirations are crushed and she is doomed to, at best, suburban life with Lane (her lame boyfriend). So, she had aspired to be a great actor, and her famous actor older brother, in the wake of this disaster, this Titanic of dreams, lays on the floor and ridicules her escape mechanism, her "Jesus prayer." If she isn't pregnant, she is just another addled 1950's post-adolescent. And her self-crisis is no more interesting than some other 20-year-old's naive obsession with video games, or clothing, or cars, or boys, or religion even. Evidence, counselor? "'You know how long it's been?' Lane (have I mentioned that he is her lame boyfriend?) said. 'When was that Friday night? Way the hell early last month, wasn't it?' He shook his head. 'That's no good. Too goddam long between drinks. To put it crassly.'" So they had sex a MONTH ago! To quote Avril Lavigne, "Can I make it any more obvious?" Also, Franny is nauseous. My goodness, do the English Dons need a pelvic exam to clarify this? Zooey being a jerk to a sibling undergoing a spiritual crisis is unpleasant. However, Mr. handsome successful boy genius, all-seeing and all-telling, being oblivious as well as rude is kinda life affirming. At least to non-geniuses such as me.
Rating:
Summary: all is full of love
Review: First of all, this book is better than Catcher in the Rye. it captures the essence of spirituality: the striving towards perfection, that is, compassion, which is at the heart of Christianity, Buddhism, and most other religions. Franny loses sight of that-- that you can rail against people's egos all you want, but it doesn't make a lick of difference if you don't DO something, something spiritual about it-- if you don't love yourself and others anyway. Franny forgets that she has to act for Seymour's "fat lady," who, as Zooey tells her, is really Jesus Christ himself. It's easy for Zooey to say, but as brash and cynical as he is, he is full of love, too. Otherwise he wouldn't keep reading Buddy's letter. Brilliant, a work of great love.
Rating:
Summary: Almost received that fifth star...
Review: In some ways, this novel is better than Salinger's hallmark novel "The Catcher in the Rye", although not as solid. The book centers around two young adults who's intelligence haunts them, they see fault in everything. Some very interesting psychological truths of human nature are spilled through the words of Zooey, and the conversations between him and Franny are wonderful reading. If this were as solid as "The Catcher in the Rye" structurally, it would gain that last star. Worth a read nevertheless.
Rating:
Summary: A Timeless Social Commentary
Review: Like many who have read this book before me, I expected Franny and Zooey to be another Catcher in the Rye. These two books, although they explore similar themes, have entirely different approaches. Franny and Zooey is a touching story of lonely and confused siblings, one of whom is struggling with some of the most vital of life's ultimate questions. Salinger takes the time in this book to explore these universal thoughts and attempts to bring his characters and his audience at peace with them. Franny and Zooey was originally written as two seperate short stories so the characters aren't as developed as one might like. However, despite the brief descriptions, Salinger still creates sympathy for his characters and allows the reader to focus more on the morals and themes of the relgiously/philosophically based novel. This book is an important piece of literature that every curious and thoughtful person should read.
Rating:
Summary: Franny and Zooey
Review: I really enjoyed Salinger's novel Franny and Zooey more than Catcher in the Rye for which he is famous. This book leaves the reader a changed person. After reading this you question things like society, religion, education and your relationships with different people. I highly recommend this book and think it will open your mind to new ideas concerning things that many of us accept without questioning. I think Salinger's brillance comes across in this novel since he is able to make the reader greatly question and analzye themselves and their surroundings through his stories about the Glass family.
Rating:
Summary: Inspired by 'The Royal Tenenbaums'
Review: I read this book because a friend thought it would deepen my understanding of the movie 'The Royal Tenenbaums'. She says both the movie and the book are wonderful explorations of everyone's 'private madness'. Although I can certainly see some parallels in terms of the plot, it's hard to say if I'll enjoy the movie any more. Fortunately, I enjoyed the book quite a lot on its own terms. It's divided into two compelling stories: the first one ('Franny') is quietly and darkly funny, and ends with a jolt. The second one ('Zooey') is full of witty, snide dialogue as well as some thoughtful commentary on the human condition. Actually, the remarkable achievement of this book is how Salinger manages to elicit sympathy for characters who sometimes seem far too quirky, emotionless, or arch. In fact, I think that's the main difference between the book and 'Tenenbaums'. Wes Anderson made me laugh and wince at these characters. Salinger made me care for them.
| 
