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This is in actuality two short stories combined by the enigmatic writer to form a novel and even together not very long at that.. The opening looks rather ordinary a boy waits for his girl at a train station ( set in the 1950's) in an unnamed city in the eastern U.S., as the unpleasant cold, winter weather freezes the college student's bones. Lane Coutell is ambitious, happy, wants to make a splash in the world just the opposite of his girlfriend, Franny ( Frances) Glass of the brilliant yet troubled large family. Disillusioned by college, teachers are idiots and hypocrites, like their victim the students. Only caring about themselves and lacking passion for their jobs, going through the motions and nothing more...acting. FRANNY HAS SEEN THE LIGHT having read a book, "The Way of the Pilgrim " and its sequel, "The Pilgrim Continues his Way" by an anonymous writer a poor peasant, with a bad arm, a seeker of truth trying to find God's will from the 19th century , he wandered through massive Russia. Speaking to countless people most very friendly surprisingly, monks are glad to talk about religion to the amiable pilgrim . Franny becomes enamored (obsessed a better word) by these books, carrying them around in her purse. The much anticipated weekend crashes... like a baseball striking a glass window (pun intended). Fainting spells, arguments about teachers in their respective schools, what is really important, life in general an unpleasant atmosphere ....Second part Zooey, ( Zachary) a good- looking T.V. actor, however not a big man at 25, five years older than his little sister pretty Franny, both are at their parents apartment in New York City. He is trying to read somehow an old letter while taking a bath, mother enters...Zooey calls her Bessie and the father Les, former showbiz stars she is worried about Franny now sleeping on the couch in the living room, arriving a few days ago from the disastrous weekend, sick in heart and body...Begs him to talk to her, afraid the daughter is having a nervous breakdown, the uncomfortable son agrees. The siblings discuss her strange behavior she hates school, friends and professors quits acting in her college play everything is stupid, nothing matters but becomes a fanatical reader of the poor Pilgrim's thoughts about Jesus...Small book with big ideas ...still not loved by all in truth, heavyweight or lightweight material...you decide. I myself believe it was well worth the rather confusing trip.
