reads #14: february 2013

Nine stories (J.D. Salinger, 1953)

As the title may tell, Nine Stories is a collection of nine short stories. I wanted to read it as soon as I finished Franny and Zooey by the same author. I just wanted to know more about the fascinating Glass Family. It ends up that only three of those short stories mention them (A Perfect Day for Bananafish, Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut and Down at the Dinghy) but it didn't stop me from enjoying this collection tremendously. Of course, it is full of typical Salinger-esque misfits, my favourite short story was De Daumier-Smith's Blue Period, whose protagonist is the perfect hybrid between Holden Caulfield and Ignatius Reilly (who I realised both wear a hunting cap... is this some sort of symbol?).
But, the thing that struck me the most while reading this book is how similar J.D. Salinger actually was to another one of my favourite authors, Lewis Carroll. It might be a stretch, but I think they depict childhood's whimsy in the same way; and both seem to believe in amazing friendships between adults and kids.
After discovering that Wes Anderson based The Royal Tenenbaums on the Glass family, I kept my eyes peeled for any similarities. And maybe for that reason, the short story The Laughing Man, which is about a boy scout group, reminded me so much of Moonrise Kingdom. I couldn't help but imagining the character 'Chief' looking like Edward Norton as Scout Master Randy Ward.

Favourite Quote: Poets are always taking the weather so personally. They're always sticking their emotions in things that have no emotions (from the short story Teddy)

The Autobiography of FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, My Life, My tapes (Scott Frost, 1991)

This book is the transcription of the tape recordings of Dale Cooper from the age of 13, when he got his first recorder, 'til the day he gets the case of Laura Palmer's Murder in Twin Peaks (at 34).. The last two chapters of the book cover the investigation of Teresa Banks' murder mentioned in the film, Fire Walk With Me.

After reading The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this. I actually found they were interestingly complementary reads, like two faces of the same coin. While Laura is battling her way on the 'evil' path, Dale tries to keep his personal compass on the good one. The reason why Dale Cooper was the perfect agent for Twin Peaks becomes clear as you learn about his own experiences. But, it's not as a gloomy read as Laura's diary; it is really funny at times and you get to find out about the genesis of his love for cherry pies and those 'damn fine' cups of coffee.

I don't know if it's because I had just read Nine Stories before, but Dale Cooper struck me as a character that could have been spawned from Salinger's mind. What with his love for meditation (akin to Teddy's from Nine Stories) and his awkward disposition. There's a passage where he finds himself alone in NYC that reminded me so much of Holden Caulfied.  

Favourite quote: The past should remain firmly behind one. The present holds enough obstacles.

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