I really disliked the only other piece I've read by Salinger, Catcher in the Rye, so I didn't know what to expect with Nine Stories. This book was a gift, and I really quite enjoyed it. Salinger's short stories are precise and evoke exactly what is necessary, with no filler. His portrayal of children, which show up in most of the stories, definitely reminded me of that certain precociousness that is so hard to describe. This might mean that I have to read Franny & Zooey now...