A Perfect Day for Bananafish
Critique • Quotes
First edition of Nine Stories, 1953First publication
1948
Literature form
Story
Writing language
English
Genre
Literary
Author's country
England
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
