If your favorite part of Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye was Holden Caulfield complaining about phonies then this is the book for you. Franny also likes to complain about phonies, specifically phonies in academia. These are the only works that Salinger that I have read, so I am assuming that everything he writes is focused on phonies. He should really try expanding onto new topics, but I guess he’s dead by now.

Anyway the book is split into two parts. The first part is, as I said, Franny complaining to her college boyfriend about phonies as he rambles on about some paper he wrote. The second part is Zooey taking a bath while talking to his mom, and then talking to Franny about stuff since she is depressed.

If you like Salinger’s style of writing and storytelling then you’ll probably really enjoy Franny and Zooey, but otherwise it’s a little hard to get into.

Availability: SMCM
Review Submitted by: Kenneth Benjes, Lifeguard
Recommendation: Recommended with Reservations