Kayan : 8/26 : Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger

I picked up this little $5.99 pocket book at a Barnes & Noble bookstore in New Jersey. It was thunder and lightning outside, the kind that flashes the sky purple and pink at 9pm; but I stayed out late against my mother's wishes because (1) my friend had just recommended Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, and (2) I had cabin fever, and (3) I just had to go out and get the book. Right. Away.

So I'm at the all-white BN in Suburban NJ. With Cat's Cradle in one hand, and a chai latte in the other, I browse the "Summer Reading" pile and pick up Nine Stories. (What's so "summer" about "Flowers For Algernon" and "A Lesson Before Dying", I have yet to understand.) Coffee, check. Free sofa, check. I sit and relax. It's muggy inside too.

*Flash* *Boom!* The storm roars outside. The pouring rain sounds like hail on the ceiling. Then, *wehh-ooo*. Darkness. I had anticipated the power outage. The answer to the question that popped in my mind earlier in a Winona Ryder moment - "How many books should I stash in my handbag and just walk out with?" - is still zero.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The power comes back. I decide to get both books.

I don't remember much about The Catcher in the Rye, but I am glad I am giving J.D. another chance. There is a pattern in these nine short stories - originally published in The New Yorker, my favorite magazine. After 2 of these stories, I start to anticipate this pattern. I found myself covering parts of the page with my hand at those times, in an effort to stop myself from reading ahead and ruining the author's good intentions.

This is not to say the stories are predictable. That is the farthest thing from the truth. Reading each story was like meeting a new friend who has endearing quirks and who leaves an indelible image in your mind after you leave the party. And then one day, you'll see something or hear something, and it will remind you of that friend and make you think about your own reality.

Highly Recommended