I'm not sure why I waited so long to read this. It's better than Catcher in the Rye. Its more mature and not in the first person - completly. Through letters and monologue Salinger writes in the first person still but there are some different voice and a little narration. The short story and novella could stand alone but together the reader has a wider understanding. Some very funny parts in the first three quarters and the seriousness at the end.