/guid/9202a8c04000641f80000000002d19a2 rename

"A Perfect Day for Bananafish" is a short story by J. D. Salinger, originally published in the...

"A Perfect Day for Bananafish" is a short story by J. D. Salinger, originally published in the January 31, 1948 issue of The New Yorker. It was anthologized in 1949's 55 Short Stories from the New Yorker as well as in Salinger's 1953 collection, Nine Stories. It is the first of his stories to feature the fictional Glass family; it follows Seymour Glass and his wife on a second honeymoon, in Florida. The story, originally titled "A Fine Day for Bananafish", was an important one in Salinger's career. The New Yorker, which at the time had only published one of his stories, accepted "Bananafish" for publication immediately and, because of its "singular quality," signed Salinger to a contract giving them right of first refusal on any future short stories. Upon its publication, "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" was met with immediate acclaim; according to Salinger biographer Paul Alexander, it was "the story that would permanently change his standing in the literary community." "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" details Seymour's day on the beach, as his wife, Muriel, spends her time in a hotel room talking to her mother on the phone about clothing and Seymour's behavior. She asks about the