Sunday, January 17, 2010

FRANNY AND ZOOEY


Last year while in New Orleans to see the Indians parade, Stacey and I spent a couple hours in the Beckham's Bookshop in the Quarter. Most trips we take include visits to bookshops. Used bookshops usually. In used bookshops you can hang out as long as you want, everyone does. In a used bookshop it's hard to tell the difference between the folks working and the folks shopping.


On this day we were enjoying our coffee in a warehouse district coffee shop, deciding what we would do that day. We knew we wanted to find a bookshop and figured there had to be some cool ones in the Quarter. It didn't take long, we walked right off Canal St. into Beckham's at 228 Decatur St.


I purchased a few books that day. Most of the local variety. I remember there was lot's to chose from and I couldn't get all I wanted. No cookbooks. I did come across a book by J.D. Salinger.

Franny and Zooey. It was written in 1955. It is novel that appeared in the New Yorker in two parts. It's a lovely little short read about a large, nutty family, focusing on the two youngest children. Franny and Zooey Glass. They are both college aged and way to smart for their own good. Most of the novel takes place in the families apartment on the upper west side of Manhattan. It's sort of a philosophical story and it's real wordy. Not so much of either that you can't enjoy. Slainger worte many stories about members of the Glass family, most taking place in NYC.


Franny and Zooey is all over Amazon.com for $4. That's used and that does include shipping.