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J. D. Salinger

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Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction Paperback – January 30, 2001

by J. D. Salinger (Author)

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The last book-length work of fiction by J. D. Salinger published in his lifetime collects two novellas about "one of the liveliest, funniest, most fully realized families in all fiction" (New York Times).

These two novellas, set seventeen years apart, are both concerned with Seymour Glass--the eldest son of J. D. Salinger's fictional Glass family--as recalled by his closest brother, Buddy.

"He was a great many things to a great many people while he lived, and virtually all things to his brothers and sisters in our somewhat outsized family. Surely he was all real things to us: our blue-striped unicorn, our double-lensed burning glass, our consultant genius, our portable conscience, our supercargo, and our one full poet..."

Print length

256 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Back Bay Books
Publication date

January 30, 2001
Dimensions

5.25 x 0.75 x 8 inches
ISBN-10

0316766941
ISBN-13

978-0316766944
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"No American writer will ever have a more alert ear, a more attentive eye, or a more ardent heart than Salinger's."―Adam Gopnik, New Yorker

"Salinger's final confrontation with all the strains of his earlier fiction: sentimentality, depression, Eastern philosophy, isolation, and the guilt of being happy."―Chris Wilson, Slate

"We mustn't be blind to what Salinger has accomplished by virtue of his overabundant love...The Glass stories retain an extraordinary interest and appeal."―John Romano, New York Times

"Oddly, the joys and satisfactions of working on the Glass family peculiarly increase and deepen for me with the years. I can't say why, though. Not, at least, outside the casino proper of my fiction."―J. D. Salinger

About the Author

J. D. Salinger was born in New York City on January 1, 1919, and died in Cornish, New Hampshire, on January 27, 2010. His stories appeared in many magazines, most notably The New Yorker. Between 1951 and 1963 he produced four book-length works of fiction: The Catcher in the Rye; Nine Stories; Franny and Zooey; and Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour--An Introduction. The books have been embraced and celebrated throughout the world and have been credited with instilling in many a lifelong love of reading.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Back Bay Books (January 30, 2001)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316766941
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316766944
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.75 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #172,177 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #497 in Classic American Literature
- #3,767 in Short Stories (Books)
- #4,610 in Classic Literature & Fiction

Customer Reviews:
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J. D. Salinger

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Born in New York in 1919, Jerome David Salinger dropped out of several schools before enrolling in a writing class at Columbia University, publishing his first piece ("The Young Folks") in Story magazine. Soon after, the New Yorker picked up the heralded "A Perfect Day for Bananafish," and more pieces followed, including "Slight Rebellion off Madison" in 1941, an early Holden Caulfield story. Following a stint in Europe for World War II, Salinger returned to New York and began work on his signature novel, 1951's "The Catcher in the Rye," an immediate bestseller for its iconoclastic hero and forthright use of profanity. Following this success, Salinger retreated to his Cornish, New Hampshire, home where he grew increasingly private, eventually erecting a wall around his property and publishing just three more books: "Nine Stories," "Franny and Zooey," "Raise High the Roof Beam, and Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction." Salinger was married twice and had two children. He died of natural causes on January 27, 2010, in New Hampshire at the age of 91.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5

528 global ratings

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kparc

I guess

Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2024

I guess

Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2012

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One of my all-time favorite authors who never disappoints me. This is not my first time reading "Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters" but it is the first time that I noticed the quotation in the front of the book which explains the title.
I did not experience J. D. Salinger's work until I returned to college as an adult but as soon as I read one of his short stories I was hooked. I am not a particular fan of the short story but I own most of Salinger's and read them over again every few years. His stories of the Glass family continue to intrigue me and reading the recent biography of Salinger added to my fondness for these stories. I just sent my copy of "Frannie and Zooey" to my grandson. He is fourteen, reads at the college level and it is hard for me to find books that I like and think will interest him.
I highly recommend this book for readers from teenagers to retirees like me.

7 people found this helpful

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Fiona Fong

and have since sent this one off anonymously to a friend who love reading.

I think you will need ...

Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2016

Verified Purchase

I actually bought another copy off the shelves before this one arrived because I was too impatient, and have since sent this one off anonymously to a friend who love reading.

I think you will need to like the Glass Family to read either of these stories, like, really like them, even though a lot of them are problematic and unlikeable. I liked Seymour in particular, and I adore Buddy's love for Seymour as a brother, so these two stories really reached out to me and gave me the closure I needed since Seymour's death in Bananafish.

Of the two, the better written story is no doubt Raise High, but the more personal one, the one I connected with, was Seymour: An Introduction.

Seeing that I sent my extra copy off to a friend, you can bet I would recommend this to people!

9 people found this helpful

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Steiner

Praise for Seymour

Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2022

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A late set of novellas by JD Salinger, both concerning Buddy, of the Glass family and chronicling the misadventures of his brother Seymour. While "Raise High the Roof Beam" is a conventional, and pretty stiff, novella about Seymour's failure to show at his wedding, the Seymour story is a remarkable piece of essayistic prose that defies many of Salinger's expectations. Pillorying academics and his own critics, the story is an extraordinary, if esoteric piece.

3 people found this helpful

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Morpheus11

Clever, witty and profoundly spiritual

Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2021

Verified Purchase

J. D. Salinger’s stream of consciousness writing is like being at a circus; many wonderful things happening rapidly at once, but worth watching one at a time. His characters make you long to meet them, know more about them, never let them go.

One person found this helpful

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Nicole

Love Salinger, love Seymour.

Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2016

Verified Purchase

I'm a huge Salinger fan, this book is a new favorite. I got a used copy from a third party seller and I'm pleased with it. I prefer the user editions for the character and I feel it's more eco friendly. Very good read for Salinger fans!

One person found this helpful

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Nolie

Amazing, powerful book

Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2017

Verified Purchase

This has been my favorite Salinger book since 1970. I have them all, but RAISE HIGH THE ROOF BEAM stays in my mind all the time. The opening sequence changed my life and prepared me for some very hard times in the next 40 years. Fiction does, indeed, help us to understand humanity better than any other source.

20 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

No Stars for "Seymour: An Introduction"

Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2017

Verified Purchase

I'm going to give this book only three stars because I think "Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters" is a great story, but "Seymour: An Introduction" is agony to read. "Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters" is written in a conventional style of a novella. It's an interesting story told by Buddy Glass about how his brother Seymour Glass did not show up at his wedding. Buddy ends up entertaining some of the wedding guests at the apartment that Buddy and Seymour share. John Updike considered this story as the best of the stories written about the Glass family, and I agree, but I also liked "Franny" and "Zooey." I would give "Seymour: An Introduction" no stars. It was hard to read this novella. It was basically a rambling lecture written by Buddy about his brother Seymour. It is infamous for its digressions. It was one of the last stories Salinger ever published. Eberhard Alsen (2002) writes "'Seymour-An Introduction' received more negative reviews than any of Salinger's previous work." If you are a Salinger scholar, these two stories express important themes in Salinger's writing. But if you plan to feel entertained, you will be disappointed when you read "Seymour: An Introduction."

15 people found this helpful

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Sam

Boa experiência

Reviewed in Brazil on October 1, 2020

Verified Purchase

Veio rápido, bem embalado e conforme a descrição

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Amazon Customer

Timely delivery, product as expected

Reviewed in Canada on June 3, 2020

Verified Purchase

I was pleased with this book, prompt delivery, nice print. Used it as a gift.

Ricardo Bernal

Producto de calidad regular

Reviewed in Mexico on May 30, 2019

Verified Purchase

Cubierta de la portada muy frágil. Pero el contenido es muy bueno.

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ヒトミ

商品としてしっかりしています

Reviewed in Japan on October 8, 2019

Verified Purchase

しっかりとした物です。届きも速いし、満足でした

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justkarlson

Essential classics

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 31, 2013

Verified Purchase

Recommend this reading for real literature lovers. You either love Salinger or don't get a clew what's it about. In this book there two stories about Glass family in usual Salinger style: talking about inner family relationship and their attitude to the outer world. The family is 'different' from 'normal', 'typical' people. If you like such a type, Salinger is your author. Not a lot of 'outer' action, everything is inside. Cannot say more, once you read something of Salinger, you get it. If you like it you want to read other his stories: Franny and Zoe, Nine stories, etc. Why I respect Salinger: he wrote his best and then stopped writing because he could not say more. If other authors would follow him, we would have less waste-paper.

One person found this helpful

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