On this date in American literary history – July 16,
1951, J.D. Salinger's only novel, The
Catcher in the Rye,
was published. The book, about a confused teenager disillusioned by the adult
world, was an instant hit and is mandatory reading in many high schools. The
31-year-old Salinger had worked on the novel for a decade. His stories had
already started appearing in the 1940s, many in the New Yorker. The book took the country
by storm, selling out and becoming a Book of the
Month Club selection. Fame did not agree with Salinger, who
retreated to a hilltop cabin in Cornish, New York, but he continued to publish
stories in the New Yorker
periodically. He published Franny
and Zooey in 1963, based on two combined New Yorker
stories. In 1999, journalist Joyce Maynard published a book about her affair
with Salinger, which had taken place more than two decades earlier. Notoriously
reclusive, Salinger died at his home in New Hampshire on January 27, 2010 at
age 91.
Michael Thomas Barry is the author of numerous books that
include America’s Literary Legends: The
Lives & Burial Places of 50 Great Writers. Visit Michael’s website for
more information about his books and events www.michaelthomasbarry.com
The book can be pre-ordered from Amazon through the
following link:
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