Quotes from book
Nine Stories

Nine Stories
Jerome David Salinger

Nine Stories is a collection of short stories by American fiction writer J. D. Salinger published in April 1953. It includes two of his most famous short stories, "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" and "For Esmé – with Love and Squalor".

Jerome David Salinger photo

“I don't know. Poets are always taking the weather so personally. They're always sticking their emotions in things that have no emotions.”

Jerome David Salinger book Nine Stories

Nine Stories (1953), Teddy (1953)

Jerome David Salinger photo

“"You love God, don't you?" Nicholson asked, with a little excess of quietness. "Isn't that your forte, so to speak? From what I heard on that tape and from what Al Babcock —" "Yes, sure, I love Him. But I don't love Him sentimentally. He never said anybody had to love Him sentimentally," Teddy said. "If I were God, I certainly wouldn't want people to love me sentimentally. It's too unreliable."”

Jerome David Salinger book Nine Stories

Nine Stories (1953), Teddy (1953)

Jerome David Salinger photo

“Life is a gift horse in my opinion.”

Jerome David Salinger book Nine Stories

Nine Stories (1953), Teddy (1953)

Jerome David Salinger photo

“The fact is always obvious much too late, but the most singular difference between happiness and joy is that happiness is a solid and joy a liquid.”

Jerome David Salinger book Nine Stories

Nine Stories (1953), De Daumier-Smith's Blue Period (1952)

Jerome David Salinger photo

“"I see you are looking at my feet," he said to her when car was in motion.
"I beg your pardon?" said the woman.
"I said I see you're looking at my feet".
"I beg your pardon. I happened to be looking at the floor," said the woman, and faced the doors of the car.
"If you want to look at my feet, say so," said the young man. "But don't be a God-damned sneak about it."
"Let me out here, please," the woman said quickly to the girl operating the car.
The car doors opened and the woman got out without looking back.
"I have two normal feet and I can't see the slightest God-damned reason why anybody should stare at them," said the young man.”

Jerome David Salinger book Nine Stories

Nine Stories (1953), A Perfect Day for Bananafish (1948)

Jerome David Salinger photo

“He said I was unequipped to meet life because I had no sense of humor.”

Jerome David Salinger book Nine Stories

Nine Stories (1953), For Esmé — with Love and Squalor (1950)

Jerome David Salinger photo

“I remember wanting to do something about that enormous-faced wristwatch she was wearing — perhaps suggest that she try wearing it around her waist.”

Jerome David Salinger book Nine Stories

Nine Stories (1953), For Esmé — with Love and Squalor (1950)

Jerome David Salinger photo

“I never saw so many tigers.”

Jerome David Salinger book Nine Stories

Nine Stories (1953), A Perfect Day for Bananafish (1948)

Jerome David Salinger photo

“Outside the building, she started to walk west to Lexington to catch the bus. Between Third and Lexington, she reached into her coat pocket for her purse and found the sandwich half. She took it out and started to bring her arm down, to drop the sandwich into the street, but instead she put it back into her pocket. A few years before, it had taken her three days to dispose of the Easter chick she had found dead on the sawdust in the bottom of her wastebasket.”

Jerome David Salinger book Nine Stories

Nine Stories (1953), Just Before the War with the Eskimos (1948)

Jerome David Salinger photo

“"You know Adam?" Teddy asked him."Do I know who?""Adam. In the Bible."Nicholson smiled. "Not personally," he said dryly.”

Jerome David Salinger book Nine Stories

Nine Stories (1953), Teddy (1953)

Jerome David Salinger photo

“Everybody's a nun.”

Jerome David Salinger book Nine Stories

Nine Stories (1953), De Daumier-Smith's Blue Period (1952)

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