On Books

I recently read Salinger's “The Catcher in the Rye,” which impressed me. As a consequence, I produced a very slangy piece. I have increased my vocabulary; unfortunately I will not be able to use any of the new words (words such as‘flit-looking’&;, and ‘crumby’) in my Kant class. Perhaps I will be able to use them in the Heidegger Sem. If the author of Sein und Zeit keeps talking about what is at hand, and how sweet the whole thing is.[Bryn Mawr, nd]

I have been reading Franny and Zooey (I have read almost all of it); I truly enjoy not only Franny and Zooey, but also Franny and Zooey; they are interesting characters, are they not?
[Bryn Mawr, Jan. 8, 1962]

I have been reading The Hat on the Bed, which I find delightful (you introduced me to the author as you remember; so thank you). Now, I have read that the Modern library has just published a Giant (G88) of O'Hara's entitled 49 Stories. I'd like to have it; may I ask you to send me to Neuilly (ordinary mail, educational materials) a copy? [Neuilly, France 1964]

I think I already told you about Sartre's most recent book, Les Mots‹his autobiography, or rather his biography of his infancy. It is also very remarkable. By the way, I have been told that Sartre used for this book the sheets, or perhaps the tape recorder that ensued from his being psychoanalyzed; therefore, that comes from his "unconscious" -whose existence he had denied with such strong philosophical arguments! This book raised many problems; some are typical of the writer, the philosopher, the "maker of ideas" (and of words); some are typical of practically all men. [Paris, 1964]

I recently read a collection of short stories by John Updike -The Same Door- and some of them I found very ,very, very, remarkable. [Paris, April, 1964]

Cien años de soledad is an absolutely wonderful novel, a great work of art; I have read half of it, in a copy lent to me by a friend, and I have been very impressed. It is likely this work is, or will be, translated into English (it has already come out in German, French and Italian). ...although I wonder how the [English] translator will manage to reproduce the peculiar mixture of a very up to date with a very classical and limpid language; but sometimes translators work wonders. [Barcelona, 1968]