Salingers range is pronounced and wide. Stories with subtle endings and weight. I especially thought certain stories like the army soldier and the painting teacher also the last one which I found at the peak of Nine stories. Must read ( )

6

A good collection of short stories. "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" is undoubtedly the best story here, and one of the best short stories I've read anywhere. "Down At The Dinghy" and the first half of "For Esmé – with Love and Squalor" were also very good. Salinger's interesting and effective way of using dialogue to advance the story by going back in time through it, instead of flashbacks for such temporal leaps, was well done and reminded me of Eudora Welty who uses dialogue, among other things, for that too. The only thing is that most of the stories here blend and bleed into one: that of depressed adults and sensitive children. Which–honestly–is a good enough story, but one which gets old when told over and over again, especially if you have the best of the stories at the beginning of the collection. ( )

Salinger is a favorite of my husband. Last year I finally read Catcher in the Rye and did not like it. This time I tried Nine Stories and like it very much. A distinctly unique storyteller. Favorites are 'A Perfect Day for Bananafish' and 'Down at the Dinghy'; the first about a couple vacationing after his return from the war with a surprise ending and the second about a mother trying to get her 4 year old to tell her why he keeps trying to run away, though he never goes more than 2 blocks. Another good one deals with a chance encounter with a 13 year old girl who later rights the author a letter that seems to stabilize him (also set during wartime). Highly recommended ( )

(4.5 stars) These really solidified how much I like Salinger's writing. These made me feel so much and I am very intrigued by the Glass family now. The half star is honestly for ones that I probably just didn't understand. Favorites: For Esme, Bananafish, Eskimos, Laughing Man, Pretty Mouth ( )