A review by moominlove
Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger

4.0

this was interesting and fun!! I really enjoyed the writing it was quick and witty and fun to read aloud to myself. they’re an interesting family but I struggled sometimes with the way they talked to each other. it was so sarcastic and brutal sometimes especially zooey to his mom that it took me out of it which is maybe a dumb criticism but sometimes it just felt like that meme about how white people call their mom bitches idk. but ANYWAY the story itself was interesting to me about spirituality and ego. jd salinger sure does have a thing about phonies. and I liked in this one the acknowledgment that it’s immature and frankly irresponsible to hate “phonies” to a certain extent because even that feeling of superiority is rooted in ego. *they all have such high opinions of themselves and are drowning in ego and i’m so much better than them because I see their phoniness and they don’t and blah blah blah blah* in life you just have to live earnestly and be patient with people trying to figure themselves out. though I do understand the frustration with silly little academics who intellectualize everything and are just assholes if you don’t understand them. anyway. It was interesting reading this as an older sister because sometimes I try to steer my little brother in the right direction and it kinda felt like zooey it’s preachy and annoying and sometimes too harsh (sorry juju) but it really is rooted in love and care and just wanting your loved one to take themselves out of this egotistical victimizing complex that’s not serving anyone. at least that’s frannys case. juju is just kinda immature sometimes. he’ll grow out of it. but idk I related to this story. I thought I didn’t like it while I was like 75% of the way in but i’m writing this review and realizing I liked it quite a bit. it was a good read.


AND IT WAS MY LAST READ OF 2024 JUST UNDER THE WIRE BABY READING GOAL COMPLETED WOOOOOOO I GET SHIT DONE WOOOOOOOO