J.D. Salinger (1919-2010)-Grew up in New York.

-Began seriously writing in college.

-Served in World War II, seeing combat multiple times.

-Found relatively quick success in getting published.

-Became reclusive later in life after achieving fame.

-Died in New Hampshire at 91.

Publications

1961

1953

1963

Catcher? I Hardly Know Her!-Published in 1951.

-Follows a couple days in the life of Holden Caulfield.

-Over 10 million copies sold worldwide.

-Immediately successful (especially for a first novel), then dipped in popularity, and then became a cult classic.

-Has never been made into a movie, per Salinger’s wishes.

Holden Out for Something Better-Holden Caulfield is a sixteen

year-old from New York who just flunked out of private boarding school...again.

-He seems dissatisfied with almost everything and almost everybody.

-He has the attention span of a goldfish.

-He struggles to maintain a healthy relationship with anybody.

Let’s Get Colloquial"Phony" – superficial, hypocritical, and pretentious

"That killed me" – I found that hilarious or astonishing

"Flit" – homosexual

"Crumby" – inadequate, insufficient, and/or disappointing

"Snowing" – sweet-talking

"I got a bang out of that" – I found it hilarious or exciting

"Shoot the bull" – have a conversation containing false elements

"Give her the time" – sexual intercourse

"Chew the fat" – small-talk

(Thanks, Wikipedia.)

Smart People WordsUNRELIABLE NARRATORA narrator that the reader/audience cannot completely trust to be credible or accurate

VOICEThe unique characteristics of how a character or narrator speaks. Voice is defined by vocabulary, diction, tone, and dialect.

BILDUNGSROMANA novel about the formative social, moral, psychological, and/or spiritual growth of a young character,also known as a coming-of-age novel.

Legacy-While intended for adults, it has attracted primarily a teen audience for the last fifty years.

-In a way, it’s the original young adult novel. Try finding a respectable YA novel today that doesn’t sound a little bit like it.

-Countless authors, filmmakers, and musicians have cited it as a major influence in their work.

-Considered one of the greatest American novels, so obviously it has been banned all over the place.

Don’t read it because I told you to;read it because Paul Rudd told you to.

Pay Attention to...

...the authentic style.

...the disillusioned attitude toward everything.

...symbols, such as the red hunting cap and the ducks.

...truthfulness and when it is abandoned.

...how little happens, and yet how much happens.

...Holden’s loyalty and how exclusive it is.

...the relevance of the issues and themes.

...just exactly who the phonies really are.