Jerome David Salinger

Jerome David "J. D." Salinger: January 1, 1919 – January 27, 2010



J.D. Salinger, the famously reclusive author whose 1951 novel, "The Catcher in the Rye," became a touchstone for generations of readers, has died. He was 91.

The author died Wednesday of natural causes at his home in New Hampshire, according to a family statement that his literary agent, Phyllis Westberg, provided Thursday.

"Despite having broken his hip in May, his health had been excellent until a rather sudden decline after the new year," the statement said. "He was not in any pain before or at the time of his death."

Salinger has long been known for his reclusiveness, and "in keeping with his life long, uncompromising desire to protect and defend his privacy there will be no service," the statement said.

"The family asks that people's respect for him, his work, and his privacy be extended to them, individually and collectively, during this time."

Though he wrote more than 30 short stories and a handful of novellas -- many published in The New Yorker and collected in works such as "Nine Stories" and "Seymour: An Introduction" -- Salinger's fame rests on "Catcher," his only novel.

The book is narrated by a teenage boy, Holden Caulfield, who is expelled from a private school, Pencey Prep, in Pennsylvania, and spends the next three days wandering around New York. Caulfield is mistrustful of authority, railing against corrupt adults and "phonies," and plans to decamp for the west.

"Salinger had remarked that he was in this world but not of it. His body is gone but the family hopes that he is still with those he loves, whether they are religious or historical figures, personal friends or fictional characters," the statement said.

"He will be missed by the few he was close to every bit as much as by the readers who loved reading him."

-CNN

My English teacher had told me he died as soon as I walked in into her class with a gasp reply, "He's dead?!" Shocked at hearing it. J. D. Salinger...now dead. It hit me like a ton of bricks. A man whom I have never met and I feel sadness. The voice of many generations...now gone. Know I how how people felt when John Lennon and Kurt Cobain died.

A hero in his own right to the underground followers he had, me being one of them. And the bullshit thing most people do when famous people die: They become bandwagon fans. I loved this mans work, when I first picked up The Catcher in the Rye at the age of thirteen, barely understanding, I knew it was special. Even rereading it countless times, it still gets to me. Even started reading his other work which is fantastic. From the angst ridden voice of a seventeen year old, he spoke for a universal generation, whether it be the time it was published in 1951 or modern times, he will still continue to voice out many generations to come. Kinda like angst ridden version of the Beatles(Nirvana?), somewhat.

Plus another death, Howard Zinn: August 24, 1922 – January 27, 2010.

So if the theory of bad things coming in three's lets just hope Stephenie Meyer is next. We lose two great writers we need compensation by taking out a bad one, seems fair.

But what will really bummed me out is now that Salinger is dead...the most ironic thing will come to pass. A film adaption of The Catcher in the Rye will most likely be in the works. Since Holden loathes movies, wouldn't be pretty smart to have such a thing. I cringe at the thought of it. Salinger was the armor and now its gone. Life is gonna suck without him.

Now to leave a quote that fits the situation...

The boy himself is at once too simple and too complex for us to make any final comment about him or his story. Perhaps the safest thing we can say about Holden is that he was born in the world not just strongly attracted to beauty but, almost, hopelessly impaled on it.

You'll be missed by both family/friends and the the people who enjoyed reading your work.

~The Infamous DelinquentAntagonist