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Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction
Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction | J.D. Salinger
25 posts | 64 read | 9 to read
The author writes: The two long pieces in this book originally came out in The New Yorker: RAISE HIGH THE ROOF BEAM, CARPENTERS in 1955, SEYMOUR: AN INTRODUCTION in 1959. Whatever their differences in mood or effect, they are both very much concerned with Seymour Glass, who is the main character in my still-uncompleted series about the Glass family. It struck me that they had better be collected together, if not deliberately paired off, in something of a hurry, if I mean them to avoid unduly or undesirably close contact with new material in the series. There is only my word for it, granted, but I have several new Glass stories coming along--waxing, dilating--each in its own way, but I suspect the less said about them, in mixed company, the better. Oddly, the joys and satisfactions of working on the Glass family peculiarly increase and deepen for me with the years. I can't say why, though. Not, at least, outside the casino proper of my fiction.
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GatheringBooks
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33 likes2 stack adds
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CoveredInRust
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I always end up laughing at this family's antics. The narators are hilarious even if they're in the middle of a tragedy. Time to go back.

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Leftcoastzen
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#ThankfulThoughts #siblings Really? Who else would I post?Past Holden & Catcher , J.D. Salinger wrote of the amazing Glass family, parents Les & Bessie plus the kids , Seymour,Buddy,Boo Boo, Walt & Waker , the twins and last but not least,Zooey & Franny.I feel I know them.🙃♥️

Eggs Of course JDS ❣️ 4y
Liz_M Yay! 4y
53 likes2 comments
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britt_brooke
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I‘ve been putting off reading this, my last Salinger, for too long. I just didn‘t want to be finished with his books. The Glass Family is so complex and intriguing. The first novella is witty and brilliant and exactly what I hoped for. The second one is a rambling stream of consciousness, but gives much insight into brothers Seymour and Buddy. I‘m a little hungover.

BarbaraBB Great review 💜 5y
britt_brooke @BarbaraBB Thank you! 5y
Cinfhen Love the photo 5y
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britt_brooke @Cinfhen Thank you! 😙 5y
bumpinthenight Oh I love this edition‘s cover! 7d
britt_brooke @bumpinthenight I love how it‘s simple yet bold at the same time. 💛 7d
109 likes1 stack add6 comments
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Leftcoastzen
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https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/articl... Here is article about the release of Salinger‘s books as e-books. Didn‘t have room in the last post, had to vent.🙂

ValerieAndBooks Yes I can understand Salinger‘s feelings — I prefer print books myself— but I like that libraries can now offer this as ebooks, and the last part where the article says they‘ll now be accessible to readers with disabilities who have a hard time with print books. So I guess there are pros and cons. Wish they had stuck to the classic cover designs for the e-books though. 5y
52 likes1 comment
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Leftcoastzen
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So it‘s happening. Hell has frozen over. Salinger did not want his books to be released as e-books.Matt Salinger, his son and heir has had a change in policy.I have mixed feelings, I mean it‘s a bit like not following someone‘s desires , like when a family decides to bury someone who wanted to be cremated.I‘m overreacting I guess , JD could have specified it in will or trust......and I like that he may find more readers this way...I‘ll stop now.

Branwen I completely agree with you on having mixed feelings about this. 🤔 On the one hand, the work is the intellectual property of the writer and his wishes should be honored once he is gone. On the other hand though, it seems more important to reach as many people as possible. Like in the case of Emily Dickinson's poems. If her wishes had been followed the world may have never experienced her gorgeous poems! It's a tough situation, I think. 📚 💕 5y
Leftcoastzen @Branwen Good points ! Salinger may not have addressed it in his will, he never authorized it in his lifetime,who knows, he might have thought let my kids decide.Then my mind wanders to what Plath material was destroyed by her family trying to do damage control and edit the narrative. 5y
alisiakae I also feel mixed about this, but I think the side of me that wants to see his books become more accessible for others wins out. 5y
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Branwen @Leftcoastzen Yessssss, exactly! I'm still devastated over the loss of Plath's materials. Too sad. ☹ 5y
britt_brooke Salinger in more hands is okay with me, but I do find this very surprising. I missed your posts initially, but I‘m seeing them now because I‘m *finally* reading Raise High the Roof Beams. I‘ve been putting it off for ages. 5y
Leftcoastzen @britt_brooke I want the Glass family to adopt me.😂 5y
39 likes7 comments
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CoffeeNBooks
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Cinfhen Not familiar with this title at all 5y
KarenUK Me neither 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️ 5y
69 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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sarahjane1077
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The only Salinger I‘ve never read.

readordierachel This and Nine Stories are his best, I think 6y
sarahjane1077 @readordierachel I ❤️ Nine Stories. 6y
10 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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britt_brooke
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I grabbed these beautiful #Salinger volumes at #BookAttic. 😍

#bookhaul #usedbooks #shoplocal

Melissa_J Wow! You‘ve had a great day! 6y
britt_brooke @Melissa_J 💚 It was a much-needed “me time” day! 6y
LeahBergen Ooooh! 😍😍 6y
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hgrimes What great finds!! 6y
britt_brooke @LeahBergen I thought of you and your gorgeous books when I was in this shop! 6y
britt_brooke @hgrimes Thanks! 💚 6y
readordierachel Awesome finds!! I'm reading Nine Stories right now and loving it so much, I think I'll (re)ead my way right through the rest of his books this year. 6y
AvidReader25 So beautiful!!! 6y
AvidReader25 @ReadOrDieRachel Love that one. That collection is excellent. 6y
britt_brooke @ReadOrDieRachel Nine Stories is excellent! It‘s too bad that and Catcher in the Rye were missing in these editions. I love Salinger! I still haven‘t read Raise High the Roof Beam .... not sure what I‘m waiting on. 😬 (edited) 6y
mrp27 😍😍😍 6y
LeahBergen @britt_brooke Aww, did you? 😘😘 6y
readordierachel @britt_brooke I do that with so many books. I know I something will be good but hold off on it for some reason. 🤷‍♀️ 6y
britt_brooke @ReadOrDieRachel I know what you mean! 6y
Shemac77 How have I missed so many of your posts?! I feel like a terrible Litsy friend! 6y
britt_brooke @Shemac77 🤗 Same here!! I don‘t know why that happens. 6y
149 likes18 comments
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mrp27
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#readingresolutions #favoriteauthor
#aprilbookishmadness #authoryoulove

I have several favorite authors but today it's Salinger.

britt_brooke One of my favorites. 💚 7y
50 likes1 comment
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loleebs
Pickpick

Great Salinger.

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Kiki4784
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Pickpick

Fell in love with it.

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britt_brooke
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DAY 1 #OctoberTBR #SpookyOctober

These, plus whatever else I read on the fly. Will finish my reread of Franny and Zooey in the next couple of days. 💚 Not pictured are the other two books I started last month and will finish soon. Tagged below. 👇🏻

118 likes3 comments
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Lylah
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My friend got me this cute bookmark from her trip to Hawaii!

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Lylah
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DennisJacobRosenfeld
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A bookstore wanted to dump this slightly damaged paperback because of a print error on the cover which meant that the letters in relief didn't have ink. I found it to be really beautiful and picked it up. Saving it from certain destruction. I'm actually a Samaritan if you really consider it.

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Mtroiano
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I just really love the Glass family.

#mostreread #feistyfeb

Anitta Seymour is my favorite Glass ♡ 8y
38 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Mtroiano
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Stuck inside for the day, possibly the weekend. Time to get some reading done! #snowdayreads #classics #fantasy #litsyAtoZ #readingchallenge #letterS

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Ericareads44
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Bought today

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JanJan
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#SomethingforSept Salinger is one of my favorite authors who I haven't read forever. I am forever obsessed with the Glass family. #SeptemeberPhotoChallenge #FaveClassics

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smccallum
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Pickpick

In the same way that liking Holden often determines feelings for 'The Catcher In The Rye' l think how you feel about the Glass family plays a big part in how you will feel about these novellas and I find them fascinating! I preferred the first story which had a pretty typical Salinger style though it was also the funniest thing of his I've read. The second is a lot freer which feels intentionally trying at times but I still enjoyed it! Recommend.

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smccallum
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Airport reading time!