Re: greetings and salutations
Camille Scaysbrook (verona_beach@hotpop.com)
Tue, 14 Sep 1999 10:38:52 +1000
Jim wrote:
> Amazing how well you know Salinger, Camille, perhaps you could get us to
> write us something directly? :)
Is it just me or is this sentence ungrammatical? (:
What I think you're trying to ask is `why are you coming up with
Alexander-like hypotheses Camille?'. And the answer to that is: this was my
point. This is one of the very few times in Salingerland that we can be
pretty sure of Salinger's intention. You know my opinions on the meaning of
a text etc but that's not what I'm talking about here, I'm talking about
pure authorial intention.
The reason I say this is because Salinger had the initial publication of
Catcher all set, contracts signed, people talked to and so on. Then
suddenly the whole deal fell through without any warning. Salinger was
confronted on what on earth would cause a talented, aspiring young writer
to snatch his first novel from the jaws of victory? The reason he gave: the
publishers had automatically thought that Holden was crazy. This so
insulted and confused him that he saw that they couldn't possibly be acting
in the best interests of his book or character. Which is a pretty damn
audacious move to take. I wish I had that kind of audacity!
I don't make speculations rashly. This is no exception.
Camille
verona_beach@hotpop.com