Upon its publication in September, 1961,
Franny and Zooeyimmediately shot to the number one spot on the
New York Timesbestseller list and stayed there for twenty-six weeks. As it was his first novel-length work to be published following the phenomenal success of
The Catcher in the Rye, and following his highly acclaimed short story collection
Nine Stories(1953), readers and critics alike had high expectations, but early reception of the book vacillated between praise and scathing commentary. In the half century since its publication, Salinger’s slim body of work has been exalted, then shunned, and is now experiencing renewed interest with the news that some of his mysteriously shrouded works are scheduled for publication starting next year.
Born on January 1, 1919 to Sol and Miriam
1879 words
Citation: McQuillan, Jennifer . "Franny and Zooey". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 05 August 2014 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=5028, accessed 25 November 2024.]