Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction by J. D. Salinger

Perfection
A reviewer, A reviewer, 03/24/2007

I, too, read Raise High before Catcher...and even after reading the latter, I still prefer the former. I might even go as far as to say that it's one of my favorite works of literature ever. It gripped me from the start, and though some may see it to be superficial, I did not read it that way. It's incredibly well-written, and there are just little phrases within that have stayed with me. Like the descriptions of Franny's flying with the dust on her fingertips, or some of the passages from Seymour's journal, or even the utterly perfect description of a lazy summer's day in uptown Manhattan. It's severely underrated.

Also recommended: Nine Stories (especially Bananafish), Ham on Rye, Waiting for Godot, Dr. Sax (a random array, I know)

Different
Kayla, an avid reader, 02/16/2006

Seymour an Introduction was my favorite. Raise High the Roof Beam Carpenters just seemed pointless. In the first one I kind of thought Charlotte was Muriel but then I changed my mind. That story was weird it reminded me of Franny and Zooey. This book was hard to follow at times so I had to go back and reread certain parts. I love J.D. Salinger's style of writing, its unique.

Also recommended: The Catcher In the Rye and Franny and Zooey both by J.D. Salinger

Seymour then, and Seymour now
Shalom Freedman (sfreedman@bezeqint.net), a writer in Jerusalem, 04/09/2003

Once these two stories meant a great deal to me.I read them and reread them.Salinger had for me then the status of example, of the writer who had found a way of seeing the world,and telling its truth .I am so far I must admit from Salinger's way of seeing things now ,that it is difficult for me to cherish these stories as I once did. Surely they are highly entertaining exercises in the art of the colloquial.Surely they too contain an invention, a cast, the Glass family who are appealing and interesting. They too create an atmosphere,of a time , of New York Upper West Side thirties reality which it is a pleasure to dwell in. The hero Seymour , the suffering sick holy man ,the poet whose East- West verses are so persuasively hyped by his writer- brother Buddy, did too represent in my mind some kind of vague model.'John Keats, John Keats,John, Put your scarf on' a poem of Seymour's is an example of that kind of delightful Salingerese which Seymour too seems to be wholly embued with. This is in my mind still a wonderful enjoyable humorous book to read. But the Eastern philosphy ,the preciousness of the Glass family self- worship, the whole as it were superior if not snobbish stance of Salinger are far from me now. I too must admit that as a religious Jew I find a real superficiality in the rejection of the 'Western religions, and the world of the Bible. Salinger was ,and in a sense is a favorite author of mind, and he helped me reach two masters of his Kafka, and Kierkegaard for which I am deeply grateful. But he does not make it past adolescence in his view of the world. Jews are forbidden to kill themselves, even half Jews, even fictional Jews.It would have been more difficult,but far more courageous had Seymour continued writing his remarkable poems and receiving endless rejection slips for them. And nonetheless persisted. It too, and this is perhaps unfair would have been more courageous had Salinger not withdrawn wholly into his own little world, but faced some of the complicated realities his own particular family knew, and turned in a different way to understand ,and help his readers. But this is perhaps asking too much for a writer who after all has given so many readers so much joy and truth.

Superb Salinger
Kay M. Lucus, a writer., 11/04/2002

Having read 'Raise High...' before reading 'Catcher in the Rye' I perhaps approached it with a fewer expectations than other readers. I found it both accessible and deeply complex, with beauty drawn out of the most everyday occurance. The brotherly love between Buddy and Seymour is a far cry from the saccharine Hollywood norm, embracing both the faults and merits of the subjects, producing rounder characters. Simply a beautiful piece of writing you should try for yourself.

only half so far
Sponge, the one whom you will all bow to, 09/11/2002

i have only read half of this book so far (guess which half) and have found it to be very good. from what i remember, typical Salinger. many say it is not like Catcher in the Rye, true: the story is different. however, if you enjoy Mr.Salinger's writing style, you will undoubtedly enjoy (at least the first half of) this book. if you read it trying to get a deeper meaning out of it, you may find it a bit more stressful. but read for the shear joy of reading, people! don't just read for a class or a club; read for yourself! you don't always have to get some deeper meaning out of a book to enjoy it.

Also recommended: (unrelated, actually) the little prince, the inferno, anything by john irving or j.d. salinger