Originally published as two separate short stories, “Franny & Zooey” is one of J. D. Salinger’s most loved books, and for good reason. Franny and Zooey are siblings, the youngest members of the Glass family. The first section focuses on a weekend date between Franny and her Ivy League boyfriend Lane. Franny is in the midst of a spiritual crisis that ultimately leads to a fainting episode and a breakdown, but Lane, the 1950s equivalent of a fuckboi, is more concerned with his social schedule. The second section follows Zooey’s own confrontation with their family’s tragic past while also trying to drag his younger sister out of her dismay at the spiritual vacuity of modern life. Despite its terse length, Salinger’s vivid style breathes life into a book that broaches the questions we all ask ourselves at one time or another, particularly on the precipice of change.