Don't know why, but J.D.Salinger's book appealed to a young adult male Brit in early & mid-sixties London. My mother had told me about its notoriety in the U.S. but didn't tell me anything about it.
of course, talking about it with friends, I learnt that it was "shocking" because it featured a young teenage boy using the 'F' word... however, that was lost on us - as our British edition was censored; must not corrupt young minds... I mean, everyone knows how chaste & unsullied teenage boys are.
In the next few years, I read the rest of Salinger's, albeit limited, published output. I carried the paperbacks everywhere with me, and re-read them many times.
Well, last month, PBS had a special on him and the story regarding his relationship with Joyce Maynard. I did know about the affair and her subsequent silence about him... then her sudden writing about the relationship. (I think that this is all about to be covered in a forthcoming film as well.)
The program was very interesting and prompted me to re-read his books again. I had one in my hand this week when I went to a doctor's appointment at our main hospital. My doctor saw Salinger's book and asked me if I knew about his relationship with Ms. Maynard. I said, yes, and told about the recent PBS show, whereupon my doctor revealed that she knew Maynard, indeed, grew up with her. They are both from the same small New England town; even went to school together.
Present circumstances means that their relationship is one of shared emails nowadays, not visits, but nonetheless, they had a childhood in common.
It never fails to amaze me how simple little things in our everyday being turn out to have links to some new acquaintance or friend. Life is indeed full of serendipity.
No comments:
Post a Comment