by J.D. Salinger
“Who in the Bible besides Jesus knew — knew — that we’re carrying the Kingdom of Heaven around with us, inside, where we’re all too goddamn stupid and sentimental and unimaginative to look?”
— J.D. Salinger, Franny and Zooey
“Have you ever seen a really beautiful production of, say, The Cherry Orchard? Don’t say you have. Nobody has.
You may have seen ‘inspired’ productions, ‘competent’ productions, but never anything beautiful.
Never one where Chekhov’s talent is matched, nuance for nuance, idiosyncrasy for idiosyncrasy, by every soul onstage.”
— p.61
“The point is, I’m now on the campus five days a week instead of four, and what with my own work at nights and on weekends, I have almost no time to do any elective thinking.
Which is my plaintive way of saying that I do worry about you and Franny when I get the chance, but not nearly so often as I’d like to.”
“And when he’s reached some sort of impasse in his mind whether he’s going to be a sort of two-fisted Colette or a sort of short Thomas Wolfe for the rest of the evening.”
“What I don’t like — and what I don’t think either Seymour or Buddy would like, either — is the way you talk about all these people.
You don’t just despise what they represent — you despise them. It’s too damn personal, Franny.
You get a real little homicidal glint in your eye when you talk about this Tupper, for instance. …
It would be all right, in a way, if you thought his personal affectations were sort of funny.
Or if you felt a tiny bit sorry for him for being insecure enough to give himself a little pathetic goddamn glamour.
But when you tell me about it — and I’m not fooling you now — you tell me about it as though his hair was a goddamn personal enemy of yours.”
“And, in my opinion, that’s one of the reasons why you’re having this little nervous breakdown.
And especially the reason why you’re having it at home. This place is made to order for you.
The service is good, and there’s plenty of hot and cold running ghosts.
What could be more convenient? You can say your prayer here and roll Jesus and St. Francis and Seymour and Heidi’s grandfather all in one.
Can’t you see that? Can’t you see how unclearly, how sloppily, you’re looking at things?
My God, there’s absolutely nothing tenth-rate about you, and yet you’re up to your neck at this minute in tenth-rate thinking.
Not only is the way you’re going at your prayer tenth-rate religion but, whether you know it or not, you’re having a tenth-rate nervous breakdown.”
“Who in the Bible besides Jesus knew — knew — that we’re carrying the Kingdom of Heaven around with us, inside, where we’re all too goddamn stupid and sentimental and unimaginative to look?
You have to be a son of God to know that kind of stuff.”