Claire ;;; ([info]learningsong) wrote in [info]jdsalinger,
2008-06-03 12:50:00
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Franny and Zooey

So Franny and Zooey is one of my favorite books, to the point where I carry a copy of it in my purse to read whenever I have a chance.  And every so often, somebody notices the book and asks me what I am reading.  And then I am faced with a dilemna:

How does one prononce Zooey's name?  Is it Zoo-ey, as it looks like it would be phonetically pronounced, or is it 
Zo-ey, like the common name?  

Because I feel pretty ridiculous not knowing how to say the name of my constant literary companion.


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  • 16 comments

[info]beatles_kid

June 3 2008, 18:22:13 UTC 3 years ago

ZO-EE
not zoo-ee

i promise.

[info]raybanwayfarer

June 26 2010, 02:40:45 UTC 1 year ago

me too

[info]liarxagerate

June 3 2008, 19:10:11 UTC 3 years ago

Zoo-ey. I promise.

[info]learningsong

June 3 2008, 19:19:16 UTC 3 years ago

So... I vote we steal a car, drive to Cornish, inform Mr. Salinger that, yes we understand your love of privacy BUT sir, this is truly a matter of utmost importance.

I suppose until this is resolved I'll just have to respond with "Franny and Z-(sneeze)-ee. And hope that people understand.

[info]jasonwentcrazy

June 4 2008, 03:33:46 UTC 3 years ago

It's ZOO-ey. I'm with you. And I'm certain of it. It's like this: When Franny was born and growing just able to learn to talk she tried to say her older brothers name, Zachary, and it came out as 'ZOO-ey' and everyone in the whole glorious Glass family thought that it was cute and kept on, from that very day forward, calling him Zooey.

How could it not be, really? I mean, the double-o's are enough evidence on their own, right? [ZOO-ey.]

I promise that I am right.

[info]sandandthestars

June 4 2008, 14:00:27 UTC 3 years ago

is that really in the book? because I'm going to start using that argument when people say it's definitely "Zo-ey"

I get pissed off at people about these things

[info]uberjackalope

June 3 2008, 20:47:23 UTC 3 years ago

Ha! I've totally wondered this myself (since it's also probably my favorite book of all time). I usually go for the ZO-EE pronunciation, but I think that's just because it's easier to use the common name than to risk getting strange looks. I guess it doesn't really matter, but I'd love to know what Salinger had in mind.

[info]signifiers

June 3 2008, 21:48:09 UTC 3 years ago

This is my problem exactly! (By which I mean, I carry a copy in my purse as well, and also don't know how to pronounce it.) I always say Zo-ey, but I had a friend who would say, "Zoo-ey, or Zo-ey, or however you say it..." every time.

[info]fairbrook

June 4 2008, 00:18:48 UTC 3 years ago

like doughy

Deleted comment

[info]alovecycle

July 26 2008, 05:05:58 UTC 3 years ago

actually her name is pronounced zoo-ey, just like the book :)
i actually just heard an interview with her not too long ago where she said she was named for the character, and that is how she (and the lady on npr) pronounced the title, not that their word is gold or anything, but maybe that means something?
i'm not sure.
just a bit of information to help :)

[info]learningsong

June 4 2008, 15:32:08 UTC 3 years ago

Imagine this:

Scene: J.D. Salinger is perched in a tree. Approaching is a group of oddly-shaped livejournal members

--Mr. Salinger, how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?
His response: The world may never know
--Well, can you tell us how to pronounce "Zooey" tnen?
He does not respond, but laughs ridiculously and swoops off.

Wow. The biggest literary dilemna since "Who wrote Shakespeare?"

[info]aubade1984

June 5 2008, 08:59:58 UTC 3 years ago

to be honest, i've always said "zo-ey." but i suspect it's actually "zoo-ey," since that makes more sense as a nickname for zachary than "zo-ey."

[info]aubade1984

July 1 2010, 04:06:38 UTC 1 year ago

for the record: someone from slate asked salinger's literary agency, and this is what they said: http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/browbeat/archive/tags/zooey/default.aspx

Anonymous

January 26 2011, 17:41:22 UTC 1 year ago

Порно

Смотреть порно (http://megafreeporn.ru/)

Anonymous

February 12 2011, 08:41:13 UTC 1 year ago

vuitton bag

You have thought up such matchless phrase?

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February 18 2011, 14:43:02 UTC 1 year ago

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