My Take - Franny and Zooey by J.D Salinger

 Franny and Zooey by J.D Salinger is one of the strangest books I have read but I am absolutely enamoured by it. The novel has poignant visual characteristics and hence reading it felt akin to watching a televised film. The novel has no definite plot, per say yet each moment of it is so well defined that the one feels an irresistible urge to go on reading, that is to say that even without a comprehensive plot the novel never for once slackens or loses its vigour.

            The novel is divided into two parts, Franny and Zooey. And the eponymous characters happen to be the youngest siblings of the Glass family. Both the siblings have to deal with their existential angst, the loss of losing their eldest brother and other anguishes of life in general. Both of them find it difficult to conform and fit into the ‘normal’ society, and therefore Zooey calls themselves ‘freaks’. However, the best thing about the novel is that though neither of the siblings is “qualified” to counsel the other yet each of them tries their best to offer solace and succour to the other in whatever way they can. It’s a heart rending story about mental anguish, frustration, existential angst, and how love can offer islands of peace amidst the chaos of sufferings.

            The anguish and frustrations of the so-called ‘freaks’ resonated with my own troubled Self and I found a hope in the advice of Zooey/Seymour, that let not the fact that you feel unappreciated or unacknowledged by the indifferent world stop you from giving your best, for there is always a “Fat Lady” somewhere who silently appreciates the effort you make.

            My favourite lines from the novel are:

“You’re lucky if you get time to sneeze in this goddam phenomenal world.”

“I don’t know what good it is to know so much and be smart as whips and all if it doesn’t make you happy.”

My rating – 5⭐


 

 

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