Catcher in the Rye
By J.D. Salinger
Catcher in the Rye has been nominated as one of the best 100 American novels written. It sells
more than 250,000 copies each year. Recently, a first edition copy of the book sold for $19,000.
Naturally, it is a collectible book; even early paperback editions sell for up to $100.00.
In 1960, a teacher was fired, and later reinstated, for assigning the novel in class. Between 1961
and 1982, The Catcher in the Rye was the most censored book in high schools and libraries in the
United States. In 1981, it was both the most censored book and the second most taught book in
public schools in the United States. According to the American Library Association, The Catcher
in the Rye was the 13th most frequently challenged book from 1990–2000. It was one of the 10
most challenged books in 2005, and came off the list in 2006.
About J.D. Salinger:
Jerome David "J. D." Salinger (born January 1, 1919) is an American author, best known for
his 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye, as well as his reclusive nature. He has not published an
original work since 1965 and has not been interviewed since 1980.
Raised in Manhattan, New York, Salinger began writing short stories while in secondary school,
and published several stories in the early 1940s before serving in World War II. In 1948 he
published the critically-acclaimed story "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" in The New Yorker
magazine, which became home to much of his subsequent work. In 1951 Salinger released his
first novel, The Catcher in the Rye, an immediate popular success. His depiction of adolescent
alienation and loss of innocence in the protagonist Holden Caulfield was influential, especially
among adolescent readers. The novel remains widely read, selling around 250,000 copies a year.
The success of The Catcher in the Rye led to public attention and scrutiny; Salinger became
reclusive, publishing new work less frequently. He followed Catcher with a short story
collection: Nine Stori