'Salinger' review: Holden back on J.D.

Of course, I have no idea what Salinger would think, but saying nothing about one's extraordinarily famous life leaves the door open for others to say something, and dozens have their say here. Salerno does a yeoman's job in tracking down everyone who ever talked to Salinger, fought with him or slept with him.

What's missing, glaringly so, is a single insight into Salinger's literary merits. His spectacular reputation essentially rests on just one slim novel. But a great book? Or a youthful literary fling and rite of passage for millions of high schoolers? With the help of observers who offer many colorful anecdotes, Salerno gets close to the paradox of Salinger's life -- the more reclusive he became, the more famous he became. He never gets close to the meaning of that paradox, or of the work itself.

Salerno needed to step back, go to the books (and stories), understand their significance, then figure out Salinger from that starting point. What Salinger asked for -- in a sense still does from the grave -- was understanding, not bouquets. Or to quote Holden: "Who wants flowers when you're dead? Nobody."

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