Three Early Stories

By: J.D. Salinger

Narrated by: Mike Dennis

A young and ambitious writer named Jerome David Salinger set his goals very high very early in his career. He almost desperately wished to publish his early stories in The New Yorker magazine, the pinnacle, he felt, of America’s literary world. But such was not to be for several long years and the length of one long world war.

The New Yorker, whose tastes in literary matters were and remain notoriously prim and fickle, was not quite ready for this brash and over-confident newcomer with the cynical worldview and his habit of slangy dialogue. But other magazines were quick to recognize a new talent, a fresh voice at a time when the world verged on madness. Story magazine, an esteemed and influential small-circulation journal devoted exclusively to the art of the short story and still active and respected today, was the first publication to publish the name J.D. Salinger and the story "The Young Folks" in 1940, an impressive view of New York’s cocktail society and two young people talking past one another, their conversation almost completely meaningless and empty.

Three Early Stories is the first legitimately published book by J.D. Salinger in more than 50 years. Devault-Graves Digital Editions, a publisher that specializes in reprinting the finest in American period literature, is proud to bring you this anthology by one of America’s most innovative and inspiring authors.

©2014 The Devault-Graves Agency (P)2014 The Devault-Graves Agency

Once you heard the first story you've heard'em all

Would you try another book from J.D. Salinger and/or Mike Dennis?

Sure. He has a good voice.

Has Three Early Stories turned you off from other books in this genre?

No.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

When i heard the first story, which is really well done and I got into the characters it was disappointing to go to the next story and hear a different story with the same character voice. It really detracts from the story. If I was reading it I might have enjoyed that more.

Did Three Early Stories inspire you to do anything?

Write this review?

Wonderful

Great stories and great narration. Listen while in the car, it makes your trip go quicker.

Not very special

To me, the stories don’t stand out from his other work. They’re probably only interesting to Salinger completists. Also, the stories are not broken out as separate chapters. I don’t understand why short story audiobooks do this!

Great narrator, plotless stories

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

It was very well written but the scenes lacked a point. The stories felt like they were pulled from a bigger book. There really was no real detail of where the story was going or even why the reader should care.

Would you recommend Three Early Stories to your friends? Why or why not?

It you are a fan of Salinger's prose, then you will love it, I was not a huge fan so it did not work as well for me. The stories flow nicely, they just never go anywhere.

What about Mike Dennis’s performance did you like?

He has a awesome voice that really kept me engaged, even after I was bored with the story. Such a yummy deep timber that was a joy to listen to throughout. He had clear voices that stayed consistent in each story. I would love to hear more of his reads, especially on smexy books!

Any additional comments?

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, opinions and ratings are my own.

Not Quite...

This appears to have been written before the reclusive author settled on his writing style.