A collection of nine exceptional short stories from the author of ‘The Catcher in the Rye’, J D Salinger. The book includes two of Salinger’s most famous and critically acclaimed pieces, which helped to establish him among contemporary literary greats. The title story – a soldier’s recollection of his meeting with a young girl, Esmé, before being sent into combat – prompted a flood of readers’ letters when it was first published in The New Yorker in 1950. The haunting, ‘A Perfect Day for Bananafish’ is the first of the author’s many stories to feature the Glass family and follows eldest sibling, Seymour Glass, and his wife, Muriel, as they honeymoon in Florida.
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About the Author
J D Salinger was born in 1919. He grew up in New York City, and wrote short stories from an early age, but his breakthrough came in 1948 with the publication in The New Yorker of 'A Perfect Day for Bananafish'. The Catcher in the Rye was his first and only novel, published in 1951. It remains one of the most translated, taught and reprinted texts, and has sold some 65 million copies. It was followed by three other books of short stories and novellas, the most recent of which was published in 1963. He lives in Cornish, New Hampshire.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By jacr100
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
These nine short stories will appeal to those who enjoyed the dry observations, the grim resistance to adulthood and the honesty that encapsulated The Catcher in the Rye. Far less well-known, this collection is partly a reflection on an American society coming to grips with the aftermath of war; its characters include those who have been traumatised by conflict and those who have suffered at home through the absence of loved ones. More than that, Salinger's tales try to dig a little deeper under the superficial layer of East Coast society and ask where the distinctions between madness and innocence lie in a fractured community. His adults are often verging on lunacy or have a serious character flaw, while his children are frequently precocious, wildly intelligent and seemingly more worldy-wise than their parents: the clash between the two tends to cause confusion on both sides. Women are promiscuous, men are like children, children are like seers; each of these stories tells of a topsy-turvy world populated by figures wrestling within themselves for something more satisfying than their present existence. A brief collection but a valuable one; sometimes frustratingly enigmatic but with some excellent character sketches.
29 of 32 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
A must-have book for any true Salinger fan, "For Esme...", provides the reader with ten short stories of the highest calibre. You'll laugh and cry at the tragi-comic nature of the Glass family in tales such as "A perfect day for Bananafish", marvel at Salinger's fascinating autobiographical touch in "Love and Squalor", and turn each page in fervent anticipation in his more imaginative tales, such as "Teddy". One recommendation I would make to anyone who is just stepping into Salinger's world is to dip into "Raise high the roof beam, carpenters, Seymour: an introduction, and "Franny and Zooey", before you start "Esme", as it will explain a lot about the Glass family saga...
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By H. Eaton
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This collection of short stories showcases the talent of JD Salinger at its very finest.
The stories are vividly and beautifully told, emotion is understated but tangible. The title story 'For Esme with love and squalor' is quite simply one of the most unforgettable stories I have ever read - it is infused with powerful emotion but also gentle humour. It's about a brief meeting between a soldier and a young girl - he's looking for simplicity and purity in a world gone mad, she's hoping to appear mature and worldly (but comes across as even more innocent and naive as a result). This chance encounter sustains the soldier later when his world is falling apart from the after-effects of the war.
The other stories are just as striking - particularly The Laughing Man and Teddy - they read simply, but pack a punch which is difficult to describe. That's the genius of it all.
The stories are vividly and beautifully told, emotion is understated but tangible. The title story 'For Esme with love and squalor' is quite simply one of the most unforgettable stories I have ever read - it is infused with powerful emotion but also gentle humour. It's about a brief meeting between a soldier and a young girl - he's looking for simplicity and purity in a world gone mad, she's hoping to appear mature and worldly (but comes across as even more innocent and naive as a result). This chance encounter sustains the soldier later when his world is falling apart from the after-effects of the war.
The other stories are just as striking - particularly The Laughing Man and Teddy - they read simply, but pack a punch which is difficult to describe. That's the genius of it all.
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
After having read 'The Catcher in the Rye', which instantly became my favourite twentieth century book, I picked this up in a second hand bookshop and it turned out to be an amazing bargain. Salinger writes so wonderfully about children and thier innocence, a theme running through all his works, that it is hard to belive he is looking at them through adult 'phoney?' eyes. The title story is one of those where you remember exactly where you were when you were reading it, and every story bar none is a joy to read. Even if you did not like 'The Catcher in the Rye' gives this a go because they are very different. Surely one of the best collections of short stories ever, Fitzgerald has a real heir in Salinger.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By steelo
Format:Paperback
I started my encounter with Salinger as most people do, through his Catcher in the rye, and I liked it, but I wasn't crazy about it. It was innovative compared to the censored and proper books which were also in the curriculum, and the story was one I could identify with, but it was only later, when I picked up his short stories, that I really developed a passion for his style.
The collection of stories entitled From Esme with love and squalor contains nine short stories including A perfect day for bananafish, and the story which gives the collection its title (in the States, the 9 stories are suggestively called "Nine stories".
The recurring themes are humanity's loss of innocence and how children manage to bring us back to that purity of mind, relationships and their evolutions, nostalgia and war.
Salinger is a master of the short story, managing to capture the essence of our thoughts and feelings in the tightest frame of action, with even a limited number of characters.
While his stories are often heartbreaking, the beauty with which Salinger writes gives you hope that other people are as aware as he was of the fading innocence of the world.
The collection of stories entitled From Esme with love and squalor contains nine short stories including A perfect day for bananafish, and the story which gives the collection its title (in the States, the 9 stories are suggestively called "Nine stories".
The recurring themes are humanity's loss of innocence and how children manage to bring us back to that purity of mind, relationships and their evolutions, nostalgia and war.
Salinger is a master of the short story, managing to capture the essence of our thoughts and feelings in the tightest frame of action, with even a limited number of characters.
While his stories are often heartbreaking, the beauty with which Salinger writes gives you hope that other people are as aware as he was of the fading innocence of the world.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The stories in this collection are gems. I'm re-re-reading them, trying to discover what precisely makes them so wonderful. I'm not sure yet, all I know is that some of these stories make me laugh, some make me weep, and all of them leave me wonderstruck at the astonishing writing. If I had to choose one book to take with me to a desert island, it would be this one. For Esme - with Love and Squalor: And Other Stories
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice stories
Excellent quick delivery and great condition.
A good book, some very thought provoking short stories. I'm not ususally a big fan of short stories, but I did enjoy this.
A good book, some very thought provoking short stories. I'm not ususally a big fan of short stories, but I did enjoy this.
Published 4 months ago by Ms. S. C. Brickland
5.0 out of 5 stars
Short stories full of charm
'she was the type of person who for a ringing phone would drop precisely nothing'. Salanger creates intrigue with such simplicity. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Solaman Seldon
5.0 out of 5 stars
maybe even better than catcher in the rye
One of my favourite books, this FANTASTIC collection of short stories is in turn tragic and hilarious, notably in 'the laughing man'. Read more
Published on 5 Jan 2011 by sally tarbox
5.0 out of 5 stars
JD's best
This book is amazing... it covers such a range of concepts, and people. The charactors in each of the stories are so intense. Definately worth while reading, for anyone.
Published on 17 Oct 2003 by "angel_pie"
5.0 out of 5 stars
Some of the best short stories ever written
I loved this book - it's my favourite work by J.D. Salinger, nevermind what they say about "Catcher in the Rye". Read more
Published on 19 April 2000
5.0 out of 5 stars
Moving
No schmaltz; this is the real thing. The title story kicks ass, if you don't cry the publisher will give you your money back...
Published on 9 Oct 1999
3.0 out of 5 stars
all history now
It's been a long time since I even glanced at this collection but I remember one particular story concerning a mail-order art course teacher. It worked. Read more
Published on 9 Jun 1999
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