Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger

Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger

This is a very good novel from the genius author of

Catcher in the Rye

I must say that it was not as exhilarating as The Catcher in the Rye, but Franny and Zooey are memorable characters in an excellent book.

I will insist on what has impressed me and confess that there are large parts that I did not get...

Or dig, as some would say...

These would be passages that I did not really see the point of

In fact, they gave me the impression of a game.

It was like Salinger was playing.

But as I said, I did not really engage with those sections and let me just write about what was inspiring.

Franny and Zooey are extremely intelligent, special siblings.

Franny is Zooey's sister and we meet her first.

She is very interested-in the first place I wanted to write obsessed- in a prayer and the story of a Russian pilgrim.

A very simple man, after suffering traumas, the death of the members of his family, he starts a search for God.

For the truth.

He meets a monk that is very familiar with the Holy book and also religious practices and this saintly individual teaches the Pilgrimhow to pray to Jesus Christ.

The idea, or the conviction is that it does not even matter what the human repeating this mantra believes!

If he repeats it continuously and with a special rhythm, this will just reach the soul...

It is not a quote, but what I gathered.

This speech pattern will somehow affect the beatings of the heart.

In another place, references are made to chakras.

The Eastern incantations are mentioned and their similarly with the prayer of the Pilgrim.

I thought this is fabulous!

Formidable!!

I was thinking to start uttering this myself, in spite of my lack of faith.

But they say it works anyway!

On the other hand, it reminds me of that syllogism

Believe in God:

If he does exist, you win...you go to heaven

If he does not, you lose nothing...

Only it does not work like that.

Plus, Nathaniel Branden has a different take on this.

The classic author of Six Pillars of Self Esteem writes that religion is rather catastrophic for the well being of humans.

Zooey is very taken with Jesus.

However, he has the opinion that his sister does not understand the life of Jesus and what he stood for.

If God wanted someone like Francis of Assisi, he would have gotten him.

But Jesus Christ was extraordinary.

He said that we have Heaven within ourselves...

Or words to that effect.

Indeed, if I am not yet Redeemed and I do not yet believe in God, I am nevertheless convinced that if He does exist, we have to take the holy books as metaphors.

The fundamentalists who insist that the earth is only as old as the bible says, literally, do more damage to religion than so many atheists.

Karen Armstrong, maybe the most respected expert on religion, underlines that the scriptures had myths, legends that are not to be interpreted in a simplistic, ultimately stupid manner.

Overall, the reading of Franny and Zooey was a pleasure.

But there have been sections that I did not really enjoy.