'A Perfect Day for Bananafish'
Critique • Quotes
Collection including the story, 1953About the story
The author
J.D. Salinger, United States
First publication
1948, in The New Yorker
First book publication
1953, in Nine Stories
Literature form
Story
Writing language
English
Genre
Literary
Length
Approx. 4,500 words
Notable lines
There were ninety-seven New York advertising men in the hotel, and, the way they were monopolizing the long-distance lines, the girl in 507 had to wait from noon till almost two-thirty to get her call through.
— First line
She was a girl who for a ringing phone dropped exactly nothing. She looked as if her phone had been ringing continually ever since she had reached puberty.
"Whirly Wood, Connecticut," said the young man. "Is that anywhere near Whirly Wood, Connecticut, by any chance?"
Then he went over and sat down on the unoccupied twin bed, looked at the girl, aimed the pistol, and fired a bullet through his right temple.
— Last line
Critique • Quotes
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