J.D. Salinger (1919-2010)

[TooLiveBrew]

J.D. Salinger, the legendary author, youth hero and fugitive from fame whose "The Catcher in the Rye" shocked and inspired a world he increasingly shunned, has died. He was 91.

 

Salinger died of natural causes at his home on Wednesday, the author's son said in a statement from Salinger's literary representative. He had lived for decades in self-imposed isolation in the small, remote house in Cornish, N.H.

 

Link

[sbrylski]

I thought he was already deceased. Odd.

[brewerguy71]

I was JUST wondering about JD Salinger yesterday and the response if and when he passed away. Wow. Catcher in the Rye is one of the best baseball books I have ever read.

[JimH5]

I wonder if he were diagnosed, if he suffered from Post Tramatic Stress Disorder from his time in WWII. Such a brilliant guy, and yet, seemingly so miserable in his isolation. I'm as grouchy as the next guy, but he took it to an unreachable level.

 

And while Catcher in the Rye remains a terrific book, he followed it up with so very little.

 

Congrats to him on making it to 91, though most of those years seemed to have been spent unhappily.

[TooLiveBrew]

I admit to not knowing a lot about the guy, but perhaps his isolation wasn't as unhappy as we assume it was.

[Schlitz001]

I wonder if we are finally going to get to read what he's been writing about all those years in seclusion.

[homer]

The Onion's (brilliant) take:

 

http://www.theonion.com/c...nch_of_phonies_mourn_j_d

[DocLuna7]

Historian Howard Zinn also passed away on Thursday. His writings were self-described as political, but his scholarship and language were still top-shelf imo. RIP to both he and JD Salinger.

 

http://www.booktv.org/News.aspx#News140