If you're over 50, you surely remember reading Catcher in the Rye in high school. It was a hit from it's first publication, in 1951. J.D. Salinger was lauded as the next Mark Twain. He was thought to be one of the most important writers of the 20th century, but then turned his back on success and adulation, and became the Garbo of letters, famous for not wanting to be famous. He died recently at 91.
Salinger was one of those literary figures who was an enigma. No one really knew why he chose to live in seclusion for nearly 50 years. His death has resulted in yet another burst of frantic digging around to get any scraps of information. However once the frenzy is over, we will have time to admire the man for what he truly was, his work and not the way he lived his life. In this celebrity crazed world, the public demands to know about people of fame and fortune. He did better than most at keeping his private life private. Why does the public have such a problem with that?
J.D. Salinger gave us a remarkably small body of work. Besides Catcher in the Rye and Franny and Zoe, he had two other publications of short works. Yet his sharp social observation and his pitch perfect dialogue were recognized by critics as something special. Philip Roth and John Updike, two other great authors of the late 20th century we influenced by Salinger. His main character, Holden Caulfield, will be remembered by all of us. Hopefully his works will be read by generations to come, as no book so captures the struggles and thoughts of a teenage boy. I hope the critics will let Salinger rest in peace and seclusion, which is what he would want.
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