Reviews

I loved this collection so much. Every story was so good and even the less memorable stories were enjoyable. The stories weren’t all five stars but holistically this was phenomenal (especially the transition from De Daumier-Smith’s Blue Period to Teddy- thematically, that was so genius).

Nine Stories ranked and divided into star ratings:

⭐️5
For Esmé-with Love and Squalor
A Perfect Day for Bananafish
De Daumier-Smith’s Blue Period
Teddy
Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut

⭐️4.5
The Laughing Man
Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes

⭐️4
Down at the Dinghy
Just Before the War with the Eskimos

toxicyogurt's review against another edition

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emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

trhodg's review against another edition

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5.0

Some tinged with poignancy and some outright depressing, the nine stories that J.D. Salinger includes in this collection perfectly represent the angst, anxiety, and trauma that he suffered from after his experience fighting in World War II. I’m endlessly fascinated by Salinger’s use of children and youthfulness as a haven from anguish and depression. I love how enigmatic some of these stories are. “A Perfect Day for a Bananafish” is my favorite story, but most of them are excellent.

eurydycja's review against another edition

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2.0

Jedno słowo: przedziwne. Kompletnie mi się nie podobały. Na dodatek te niesmaczne podteksty starszych mężczyzn do dzieci w dwóch opowiadaniach...

wandawizard's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Some of the stories were hard to see through, all of them incredibly fun to read

squilvia's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I enjoy three out of the nine stories in this book:
1. Pretty Mouth and Green Eyes
2. De Daumier-Smith's Blue Period
3. Teddy

The rest? Sort of meh. Salinger's writing was too pulp-fiction-ey and Muricahh-est (pop culture, board games, icons, etc.) for my own taste, so I often needed to rely on my good pals (Google and WIKI), or the references would simply go over my SEA head.

But if I had to choose a favorite, it would be 'De Daumier-Smith's Blue Period.' The story and the protagonist remind me 'Catcher in the Rye,' which I read and enjoyed back when I was a teenager.

Second would be 'Teddy'. The only reason I like it is because of the ending is open for interpretation. And I read somewhere online that one of the interpretations could be that both children plunge into the empty basin when Teddy carries Booper with him off the precipice – in order to advance her into her next reincarnation. Dudeeee, that's chilling. I know she's supposed to be evil or whatever, but she's six 😂 and he's like a spiritual-savant (or so he claimed and the rest of the delulu adults around him believed).

'Pretty Mouth and Green Eyes' one is just sad. I don't know, it hurts me reading the last couple of pages of that short story knowing the caller (whatever the husband's name that said Christ a lot) called back just to lie, probably to save face and said his wife finally came home, all the while that h0e was smoking all nonchalantly next to the dude on the phone (the guy he cheated on her husband with) even bragging that she was a dog for doing so. Off to the street you go!

Anyway, three stars for each stories I liked.

thejadedhippy's review against another edition

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3.0

The second to last story is the best by far!

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