This morning I awoke to news that three J.D Salinger stories were leaked online. Within three minutes I was able to find a torrent link and download a copy for myself. Surely, Mr. Salinger never anticipated the power of the Internet to undermine his publishing wishes. I felt strangely at odds with myself over the download. On one hand I wanted to respect the wishes of the revered author. Despite myself, I also wanted to read something new from the man whose writing had considerable influence over my teenage years. With Black Friday being the ultimate impulse shopping day, I relented and secured a copy.
I look forward to reading the works once my baby-boy settles down for a nap. I am a bit weary, however, given the fact that so little is published by Salinger. For this reason, the reading does risk disappointment. I had a very similar feeling when Nirvana released “You Know You’re Right.” Fortunately, the posthumously released single did not disappoint.
Too often the Internet’s commenting class ruin these type of releases because they overly criticize, judge and rehash the past. Check out the YouTube comments that go with the Nirvana link above for proof of this trend. In actuality, it’s just a song. It’s just a story. I think J.D. Salinger’s Buddhist sensibilities would appreciate this approach. For this reason I will let you all decide if the works are worth reading. There is, however, reason for intrigue. According to the Guardian Newspaper:
The stories include An Ocean Full of Bowling Balls, which has only been available under lock and key to scholars at Princeton library.
The tale is an early version, originally written for Harper’s Bazaar magazine but withdrawn before publication, of The Catcher in the Rye. The narrator is the older brother of Holden Caulfield, the teenage narrator of the later book.
The other stories, entitled Paula, and Birthday Boy, were held by the University of Texas under similar conditions.
Enjoy.
Best Block: JD Salinger’s unpublished stories leaked online (Maev Kennedy)