JD Salinger dead at 91

[ElJuski]

Fucking bummer.

I don't think it would have all got me quite so down if just once in a while--just once in a while--there was at least some polite little perfunctory implication that knowledge should lead to wisdom, and that if it doesn't, it's just a disgusting waste of time!

One of my favorite lines from his amazing book Franny and Zooey. Of course, he is most known for Catcher in the Rye, one of the greatest American contributions to literature. Really sad to see an American cultural landmark pass.

EDIT: My friend did bring up that, on the bright side, we may be seeing more of his work that he had nutshelled away all these years. Hopefully its not garbage

EDIT 2: It kind of scares me that this page will slowly sink to the bottom...but the iPad thread...

 

[kaykordeath]

Fucking bummer.

I don't think it would have all got me quite so down if just once in a while--just once in a while--there was at least some polite little perfunctory implication that knowledge should lead to wisdom, and that if it doesn't, it's just a disgusting waste of time!

One of my favorite lines from his amazing book Franny and Zooey. Of course, he is most known for Catcher in the Rye, one of the greatest American contributions to literature. Really sad to see an American cultural landmark pass.

EDIT: My friend did bring up that, on the bright side, we may be seeing more of his work that he had nutshelled away all these years. Hopefully its not garbage

EDIT 2: It kind of scares me that this page will slowly sink to the bottom...but the iPad thread...

FUCK!!!! I mean, I know he was getting old, but this still sucks big time. Catcher was the first book I ever RE-read.

Actually worked with his son at one point. And yes, the one from the really bad 1980's Captain America movie...nice enough guy, but never would have pegged him to be related if I hadn't been told.

This makes me a sad penguin.

 

[@Li3n]

I got to read Catcher in the Rye already...

But 91 ain't a bad age to go...

 

[sixpackshaker]

Well, I hope he did keep writing and has a trove of good material to read.

 

[ElJuski]

91 and bad at ALL! It's just weird to think Catcher in the Rye and his other work under these conditions. JD Salinger had always been the author and the recluse of pop culture to me. I really hope the stuff he has shelled away isn't just really bad fan fic.

 

[Allen who is Quiet]

It all turns out to be hundreds of pages of Holden slash fiction

 

[Dusty668]

I'm gonna miss him and his work, hope it don't get all lawyered up.

 

[ElJuski]

It all turns out to be hundreds of pages of Holden slash fiction

"Catcher" in the Rye

 

[Kitty Sinatra]

Catch 'Er In The Eye



(Sorry Calleja)

 

[Koko]

Here's a poem I wrote for Catcher in the Rye last year for English class.

Encompassing Reality

I see that man, he embraces it,
I see that woman, she adores it,
I see myself, and I can’t stand it.
Far from fantasy, it is everything,
I despise it, but I must fill my thoughts with it,
I don’t understand it, everyone does,
I fear it, it’s always present.
Reality will be the end of me.

Daily routine of monotonous misery,
I can’t escape it.
Like a recurring nightmare it is always waiting,
for it cares not of my expectant hunger of freedom.
Every time I think I can break out,
it slams into my face in every form imaginable,
an enraged fist, unsatisfied lips, or a harsh slamming of a door.

As tears form below unsuspecting eyes,
I have but one final addendum to those of like minds,
you can try to pretend to the masses or free them of ignorance,
but the only true release of the soul comes from appreciation.
Appreciation of what you truly are, what everyone else is, and the importance of knowing the difference.

 

[Zappit]

Wizard claimed that Salinger was Marvel's "Writer X" back from 2000, and he was a huge comics fan - wouldn't it be a kick if his secret trove was full of comic scripts?

 

[drawn_inward]

Hey there salinger, what did you do? Just when the world was looking at you

Here's to life!

 

[phil]

I just started reading Catcher in the Rye a couple weeks ago. What a weird coincidence.

 

[bhamv3]

Well, Brazelton had been taking Hollywood celebs recently, I guess he had to balance it out with some literature.

RIP Salinger. I loved Catcher in the Rye.

 

[redapples]

BBC radio reported this as author of Catcher in the Rye and little after that! Which is interesting. I wonder if this is a cultural biase towards short story writing. Looking at his bibliography there were a further 3 books (Raise High is my favourite) and 22 short stories. Hardly little.


Oh and that Cap America film was 1990, I checked.

 

[sixpackshaker]

Craig Ferguson did his whole monologue in tribute to Salinger. I have not checked to see if it is on YouTube yet.

 

[phil]

EDIT 2: It kind of scares me that this page will slowly sink to the bottom...but the iPad thread...

Well, what's there to say about it? He's dead, and it kinda sucks, but then again he lived a long life and is a revered author.


I can't think of much else to say on the matter.

 

[ElJuski]

EDIT 2: It kind of scares me that this page will slowly sink to the bottom...but the iPad thread...

Well, what's there to say about it? He's dead, and it kinda sucks, but then again he lived a long life and is a revered author.


I can't think of much else to say on the matter.[/QUOTE]

I think there's tons to say about the writer of one of the quintissential american novels. Or, you know, at least about his work. I just think it's remarkable how much stuff like this reflects on society's cultural literacy. As much as I defend low-brain, shut-off-your-face entertainment, its times like these that make me feel really depressed how we've seemingly regressed.

 

[phil]

Well sure, there's a bunch we could talk about in regards to Salinger himself or his works. Why not kick the discussion off? What do you want to talk about?

 

[Chazwozel]

Catcher in the Rye sucked. That's right I said it.

 

[Twitch]

How so Juice? I'm sure most people here have read Salinger but his death doesn't change his work. Perhaps if you started a thread on, say, Catcher in the Rye then people would discuss it. He wasn't enough of a public figure outside of his works themselves that there's much to discuss unlike someone like Michael Jackson, etc

 

[sixpackshaker]

Is that the novel about the rich kid whining about how tough life is?

a paraphrase of Rosy O'Donnell last night.

 

[makare]

Yeah I hated Catcher in the Rye too.. I am somewhat depressed that it is among the "quintessential american novels". Im kind of depressed now

I havent read anything else by him so I guess I would be willing to try it. Sometimes an author's best known work isn't their best work so it is good to give the others a chance.

 

[Chazwozel]

Yeah I hated Catcher in the Rye too.. I am somewhat depressed that it is among the "quintessential american novels". Im kind of depressed now

I havent read anything else by him so I guess I would be willing to try it. Sometimes an author's best known work isn't their best work so it is good to give the others a chance.

Catcher in the Rye was his only novel. I hate the way it ended. Oh I'm in a mental asylum now, don't live like me or it'll happen to you too.

 

[Dave]

SPOILER ALERT!!

 

[Chazwozel]

SPOILER ALERT!!

I thought about it, and then I said good gravy if you haven't read Catcher in the Rye at this point I might as well yell it in your ear that King Kong dies.

 

[Deschain]

He's dead? How will I be able to tell?

 

[SpecialKO]

When I read Catcher, I thought it was a fantastic cultural deconstruction of the whitewashed utopic view if post-war America, and that it was equally fascinating how our continual romanticization of that time period keeps Catcher culturally relevant.

But that doesn't make Holden any kind of credible icon for modern teenage rebellion, nor does it make owning/reading Catcher a social indication of anything except that you went to English class in 7th grade for at least a week or two. I'm completely mystified about current complaints of profanity, inciting to rebellion, etc., as if it was anything except a book about a rich teenager.

 

[ElJuski]

Yeah I hated Catcher in the Rye too.. I am somewhat depressed that it is among the "quintessential american novels". Im kind of depressed now

I havent read anything else by him so I guess I would be willing to try it. Sometimes an author's best known work isn't their best work so it is good to give the others a chance.

Catcher in the Rye was his only novel.[/QUOTE]

Uhhhh no?

It's funny because people constantly misunderstand Catcher in the Rye because they're reading it face value. The text itself--beyond being a beautiful example of the bildungsroman--has depth to it if you decide to read it from even a remotely critical angle.

Let me ruin it for you: you're SUPPOSED to hate Holden Caulfield. He's kind of the perfect whiny middle-class American prick, ain't he? Which leads us into calling him out on being a faulty narrator, and beginning to break down his worldview and Salinger's worldview (they don't always exactly align).

Now, on to Salinger himself, Franny and Zooey is another great novel which definitely holds homage to Hesse and his brilliant bildungsroman, Siddhartha. The family in this novel is intrinsically flawed, too (lawdy, a trend!), and trying to pick up the pieces of their lives in the world they created around them. It's a quick, fascinating read, and leads to that really wonderful quote I have up top.

The man's also written a shitton of short stories, many of which have not been republished or collected in an available place, but Nine Stories is brilliant too. Salinger had a great style and had some beautiful dialogue that reflected the 40's and 50's so well. It's a shame that Catcher in the Rye gets taught so improperly in schools where students aren't supposed to look critically at the text, but just go "WELP, he's a looney all right, and maybe a pedo too!"

Beyond that, though, there's no denying taste, and I can't chastise someone for not liking the novel. However, you should try it out again, looking at Holden critically, rather than a sympathetic narrator. The world around Holden opens up in awesome new ways.

 

[Espy]

I'm glad he lived a long life... should be interesting to see whats in his writing bunker.

Now I'm heading over to the iPad thread to have some REAL fun.:laugh:

 

[makare]

If you are addressing me I assure you I read it critically. After 7 years of literary scholarship I can't read anything without looking at it critically. I thought the book was boring and intellectually stunted and I will never understand why it gets so much praise.

 

[Chazwozel]

If you are addressing me I assure you I read it critically. After 7 years of literary scholarship I can't read anything without looking at it critically. I thought the book was boring and intellectually stunted and I will never understand why it gets so much praise.

Well you do like to use French toast for sandwich bread...so the plus 1 is to Juski in that regard...

 

[ElJuski]

I wasn't referring to you specifically, no. And yes, if you find it boring and stunted and looking at it more than just having to dredge through it that one time in high school, you're doing what you're supposed to be doing.

Interacting with the text, and forming a judgment based on that interaction.

---------- Post added at 07:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:45 PM ----------

OHHHH YOUUUUUUUUU

 

[Espy]

OHHHH YOUUUUUUUUU

I cannot wait to buy my iPad and re-read Catcher in the Rye on it. THEN REALITIES WILL CONVERGE. WHERE IS YOUR GOD NOW???

 

[Chazwozel]

OHHHH YOUUUUUUUUU

I cannot wait to buy my iPad and re-read Catcher in the Rye on it. THEN REALITIES WILL CONVERGE. WHERE IS YOUR GOD NOW???

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