mySanDiegolife

Petite Anglaise, by Catherine Sanderson (2008) is blogger’s memoir.  She is a young English woman living in France who, on a lark, takes up blogging one day about her life in Paris with boyfriend, Mr. Frog, and their daughter, Tadpole.  The blog becomes wildly popular and the book details how it impacted her life and relationships.  Interesting because of the blogging experience, appealing to me also because she’s living in Paris. Nice. 

Well, yes, author J.D. Salinger died just in the last two months and inspired the choice of this novel.  It was published in 1951 and I first read it in high school (many years ago).  It reads like an uncensored train of thought of the main character, Holden Caulfield, and that makes it interesting. Honestly, I couldn’t remember too much about it from high school. Then, I remember thinking Holden swore an awful lot; also, I couldn’t really relate to the teenage male stuff.  Now, about 30 years later, the swearing doesn’t leave that much of an impression—of course, I am so much more desensitized these days.  But he is a depressed character who appears way too critical of the people he encounters; frankly, one of the take aways is a note to myself to continue working to change my own tendencies to do the same.  Knowing that Salinger was a famous recluse, I do wonder how much of the personality of the author is reflected in Holden. Can’t say that I really loved the book but definitely worth a read.  The book was chosen on Time’s list of the 100 best novels of all time.  Huh; I notice I only have 98 to go!