Books

I finished reading Memoirs of a Geisha last week. I know, I know most of you read this book last year. I am late to the party again. I don't usually go for books listed on the best seller list. I usually want someone I trust to recommend the book first. Anyway, this was a really good book. It was well researched and written. It was very descriptive. I really felt transported to Japan and to the life these girls led. I saw the movie on Friday night. I was dissapointed as usual. The movie mostly followed the book but a lot was left out or condensed. If I had seen the movie first I probably would not have read the book. So if you haven't yet seen this movie, read the book instead.

I also read Catcher in the Rye. I am trying to go back and read some classics that I've missed. I was dissapointed when someone published a list of 100 greatest books that I had not even read half. Well I've read two of Salinger's books now (Frannie and Zooey). I am at a loss as to why this author is considered such a genius or why Cacher in the Rye is considered such a classic. The book is a first person chronicle of a couple of days in the life of a rich, discontented prep school student in 1950's New York. The language alone is a big turn off. It seems every other phrase out of this kid's mind is riddled with cursing. I've read it is a story of teen angst but I've read better. It was only 200 pages but I had to read another book along with it to keep from giving it up. (I was somewhat determined to cross it off the list, once I had purchased the darn thing.) I wonder if Salinger had not become such a recluse and had continued to write if this book would still be held as a classic. Does anyone else out there have an opinion on this?

I am back to a good murder mystery now.