'Catcher in the Rye' Author J.D. Salinger Dies

[Tom Sawyer]

[GhostGirl]

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/...ger-91-is-dead/

[ouchithurts]

Rats. Read Catcher in the Rye for the first time in 9th grade. Last time was in 1985 and just couldn't since. Thank you for Holden Caufield.

[Mara]

'Catcher' was one of those books my mom kept insisting I read. Well, you know how it is when a parent tells a teen to do something, promising them that they will like it.

 

I finally read it on a family beach trip whan I had exhausted all other sources of literature. I could not put it down. (Later, I am ashamed to admit, I conducted my own little experiment in rebellion by stealing, one at a time, all 7 copies of the book from my high school library. )

[Ya_Big_Tree]

R.I.P. J.D Salinger. Thank you for Catcher in the Rye, which still remains to be one of my fave books of all time. You will be missed.

 

[GeddyRulz]

Bummer! At least he led a long life. Too bad he wasn't 'happy' for more of it.

 

I read "Catcher" in 10-grade English, and I loved it. I raced ahead of the reading assignments to finish it. Yes, I was one of millions of young readers who identified with Holden, spotting the "phoniness" of others all around him. I've read it again once or twice since, but I find I need to be in a great mood before starting it; if you're already 'depressed,' this book will put you over the edge. My wife says Sylvia Plath's "The Bell Jar" is like that, too. (I've never read it.)

 

I was just thinking about Salinger and "Catcher" a month ago, on the anniversary of John Lennon's death. As the article indicates, Chapman over-identified with Holden - thought he was Holden! - and went a little nuts. John Hinckley (shooter of Reagan) was another misguided "Catcher" fan, and there've been others. Is there something about the book which sends people over the edge?? A: Check out Will Smith's analysis of "Catcher" in the movie "Six Degrees of Separation."

[Mara]

In the W.P. Kinsella book Shoeless Joe, the reclusive author Ray befriends to "ease his pain" is none other than J.D. Salinger.

 

In the movie adaptation (Field of Dreams, the Salinger character is a fictitious author named Terence Mann and played by James Earl Jones. I don't know if Salinger had sued to keep his name/image out of the movie or what. (I wouldn't blame him, personally. Ghastly movie).

[GeddyRulz]

QUOTE (Mara @ Jan 28 2010, 03:08 PM)

In the W.P. Kinsella book Shoeless Joe, the reclusive author Ray befriends to "ease his pain" is none other than J.D. Salinger. In the movie adaptation (Field of Dreams, the Salinger character is a fictitious author named Terence Mann and played by James Earl Jones. I don't know if Salinger had sued to keep his name/image out of the movie or what. (I wouldn't blame him, personally. Ghastly movie).

You mean great movie.

 

Yeah, in the book it's J.D. Salinger. In the movie it's a similar reclusive author, the fictitious Terence Mann.

 

"Shoeless Joe" author W.P. Kinsella and J.D. Salinger were friends. In fact, Salinger accompanied Kinsella to Chisolm, Minn. in 1975 in search of Moonlight Graham, who had died 10 years earlier... just as "Terence Mann" accompanies "Ray" Kinsella to Minnesota in the movie. But they probably avoided using "J.D. Salinger" in the movie to prevent a potential libel suit.

 

 

[tangy]

super buzzkill.

 

catcher in the rye is likely my most read book ever. I probably have read it 20 to 30 times.

 

May he RIP.

[GeddyRulz]

http://criticalmass.blogs.citypaper.net/blogs/mu/files/2009/01/9c1aa64a.jpg

 

Who are you and why are you taking my picture?! Get the hell away from me and leave me alone!

 

 

 

 

Word is that Salinger continued to write all these years, but (obviously) not publish. There may be boxes and boxes of stuff which can now be published, after his death. His daughter says Salinger had a specific list of instructions on which were to be edited and published first, then next, then next... once he was gone.

 

So maybe readers are better off now than before. As one journalist wrote, it's difficult to celebrate the life of J.D. Salinger, since there was very little or no "life" there. As Salinger would have wanted, we should just focus on his writing... and there may suddenly become more of it!

 

Plus, Salinger refused all directors who came to him asking to turn "Catcher" into a movie. Unless there's explicit instructions in his will to keep "Catcher" off the big screen, it may finally become a film now that he's gone. (It would be against his wishes, but there you go.)

Edited January 28, 2010 by GeddyRulz

[Mara]

Somehow, I don't think "Catcher" would work well as a film. So much of it is just Holden, immersed in his own struggling psyche.

[GeddyRulz]

QUOTE (Mara @ Jan 28 2010, 04:25 PM)

Somehow, I don't think "Catcher" would work well as a film. So much of it is just Holden, immersed in his own struggling psyche.

True. I question whether it would work, too. If they did make it into a movie, it better have a hell of a good director; a bad director would ruin it.

 

I remember a young Winona Ryder saying once that it was her favorite book (no surprise, given her age at the time), and that she'd fight to the death anyone who tried making a movie of it.

 

 

 

 

[Test4VitalSigns]

R.I.P. Mr. Salinger

 

 

His short stores collection Nine Stories and Fran Zooey were pretty good as well.

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ Jan 28 2010, 04:35 PM)

QUOTE (Mara @ Jan 28 2010, 04:25 PM) Somehow, I don't think "Catcher" would work well as a film.  So much of it is just Holden, immersed in his own struggling psyche. True. I question whether it would work, too. If they did make it into a movie, it better have a hell of a good director; a bad director would ruin it. A bad director would ruin any good script, no? Somehow I doubt the producers of a Catcher film would put the director of Battlefield Earth or Corky Romano at the helm.

[treeduck]

RIP

 

And respect to the guy for not succumbing to fame and fortune

 

[GeddyRulz]

QUOTE (1-0-0-1-0-0-1 @ Jan 29 2010, 03:30 AM)

QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ Jan 28 2010, 04:35 PM) QUOTE (Mara @ Jan 28 2010, 04:25 PM) Somehow, I don't think "Catcher" would work well as a film.  So much of it is just Holden, immersed in his own struggling psyche. True. I question whether it would work, too. If they did make it into a movie, it better have a hell of a good director; a bad director would ruin it. A bad director would ruin any good script, no? Somehow I doubt the producers of a Catcher film would put the director of Battlefield Earth or Corky Romano at the helm. Corky Romano.

[tangy]

QUOTE (Test4VitalSigns @ Jan 29 2010, 01:51 AM)

R.I.P. Mr. Salinger His short stores collection Nine Stories and Fran Zooey were pretty good as well.

a perfect day for bananafish

 

Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction has some really intense parts too.

[In A Tidewater Surge]

I recently read Catcher In The Rye for the first time.. I was so engrossed with it that i ended up reading it 7 times in 3 days. Thank you for the great work and R.I.P.

 

P.S. Sorry for reviving such an old thread

[Blenderhead]

QUOTE (1-0-0-1-0-0-1 @ Jan 29 2010, 04:30 AM)

QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ Jan 28 2010, 04:35 PM) QUOTE (Mara @ Jan 28 2010, 04:25 PM) Somehow, I don't think "Catcher" would work well as a film.  So much of it is just Holden, immersed in his own struggling psyche. True. I question whether it would work, too. If they did make it into a movie, it better have a hell of a good director; a bad director would ruin it. A bad director would ruin any good script, no? Somehow I doubt the producers of a Catcher film would put the director of Battlefield Earth or Corky Romano at the helm. Just what in the f**k do you have against Corky Romano?     Anyways, I haven't read Catcher. I'm kind of in Mara's situation where everyone keeps telling me to read it, but I haven't. I need to though.     RIP, Salinger.   EDIT: Just realized this thread is so old. Where the hell have I been? What I said stands, however. Especially to you, #73.

Edited April 16, 2010 by Blenderhead

[Jack Aubrey]

QUOTE (Blenderhead @ Apr 16 2010, 06:16 PM)

QUOTE (1-0-0-1-0-0-1 @ Jan 29 2010, 04:30 AM) QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ Jan 28 2010, 04:35 PM) QUOTE (Mara @ Jan 28 2010, 04:25 PM) Somehow, I don't think "Catcher" would work well as a film.  So much of it is just Holden, immersed in his own struggling psyche. True. I question whether it would work, too. If they did make it into a movie, it better have a hell of a good director; a bad director would ruin it. A bad director would ruin any good script, no? Somehow I doubt the producers of a Catcher film would put the director of Battlefield Earth or Corky Romano at the helm. Just what in the f**k do you have against Corky Romano?     Anyways, I haven't read Catcher. I'm kind of in Mara's situation where everyone keeps telling me to read it, but I haven't. I need to though.     RIP, Salinger.   EDIT: Just realized this thread is so old. Where the hell have I been? What I said stands, however. Especially to you, #73. QUOTE Just what in the f**k do you have against Corky Romano?   How about: "it's weapons-grade suckage"? Will that do?

[lerxt1990]

"Classic" book. Quotes intended.

[Blenderhead]

QUOTE (Jack Aubrey @ Apr 23 2010, 01:04 PM)

QUOTE (Blenderhead @ Apr 16 2010, 06:16 PM) QUOTE (1-0-0-1-0-0-1 @ Jan 29 2010, 04:30 AM) QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ Jan 28 2010, 04:35 PM) QUOTE (Mara @ Jan 28 2010, 04:25 PM) Somehow, I don't think "Catcher" would work well as a film.  So much of it is just Holden, immersed in his own struggling psyche. True. I question whether it would work, too. If they did make it into a movie, it better have a hell of a good director; a bad director would ruin it. A bad director would ruin any good script, no? Somehow I doubt the producers of a Catcher film would put the director of Battlefield Earth or Corky Romano at the helm. Just what in the f**k do you have against Corky Romano?     Anyways, I haven't read Catcher. I'm kind of in Mara's situation where everyone keeps telling me to read it, but I haven't. I need to though.     RIP, Salinger.   EDIT: Just realized this thread is so old. Where the hell have I been? What I said stands, however. Especially to you, #73. QUOTE Just what in the f**k do you have against Corky Romano?   How about: "it's weapons-grade suckage"? Will that do? That'll do.

[Boots]

I read the Catcher in the Rye. I thought it was OK, but not earth shattering. I can never find any of his other books. I heard he wrote a lot towards the end of his life. He wrote for pleasure mostly. He didn't really care too much about being a commerical success. Someone tried to write a sequel to The Catcher but he got sued for copyright infringement. Apparently Salinger has a lot of unpublished material.