Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters & Seymour: An Introduction by J.D. Salinger is a collection of two long pieces that delve into the lives of the Glass family. The first piece, Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters, follows narrator Buddy Glass as he navigates a chaotic wedding day for his brother Seymour. The second piece, Seymour: An Introduction, provides a stream of consciousness narrative where Buddy attempts to describe his enigmatic brother Seymour to the reader, reflecting on his character and the impact of his suicide on the family.

Characters:

The characters are complex, especially Buddy and Seymour Glass, portraying nuanced emotional struggles and familial connections.

Writing/Prose:

Salinger's prose is intricate, weaving elegance with informal speech, though the second story can be challenging due to its digressiveness.

Plot/Storyline:

The story revolves around a wedding mishap involving Buddy Glass and his brother Seymour, offering a mix of personal insights and family dynamics.

Setting:

Set against the backdrop of New York City, the story captures a mix of chaotic wedding scenes and deeper emotional introspection.

Pacing:

The pacing varies, with the first novella being more brisk and engaging, while the second is slower and more reflective.

ONE night some twenty years ago, during a siege of mumps in our enormous family, my youngest sister, Franny, was moved, crib and all, into the ostensibly germ-free room I shared with my eldest brother...

Notes:

The book contains two novellas: 'Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters' and 'Seymour: An Introduction.'

Buddy Glass narrates the first novella, detailing his brother Seymour's wedding day.

Seymour, the eldest Glass sibling, does not show up for his wedding, creating tension and drama.

The Glass family consists of seven children, including Buddy, Boo Boo, Zooey, Franny, and the twins Walt and Waker.

Salinger is noted for his ability to make mundane situations interesting.

The title of the book comes from a message left by Boo Boo for Seymour, referencing a poem.

Seymour was known to be troubled and brilliant, struggling with deep self-doubt and critical thinking.

'Seymour: An Introduction' is written as a stream of consciousness, offering Buddy's reflections on his deceased brother.

Salinger often explores themes of family, love, and the complexities of relationships in his work.

Many readers found 'Seymour: An Introduction' challenging due to its digressive and lengthy narrative style.

The book is appreciated for its realistic dialogue, character depth, and emotional resonance.

Critics have regarded 'Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters' as one of Salinger's best pieces, despite initial poor reception.

The novellas complement each other, peeling back layers of the Glass family's dynamics and Seymour's character.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

The book deals with themes of suicide, mental health struggles, and family dysfunction, which may be triggering to some readers.

From The Publisher:

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…"

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Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters & Seymour: An Introduction

J.D. Salinger