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Thread: J.D. Salinger author of "Catcher in the Rye" dies at 91

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    Senior Member kissmedeadly8989's Avatar
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    J.D. Salinger author of "Catcher in the Rye" dies at 91

    Update | 1:41 p.m. J.D. Salinger, the elusive and enigmatic author of “The Catcher in the Rye,” has died. He was 91 and lived in Cornish, N.H.

    Mr. Salinger’s literary representative, Harold Ober Associates, announced the death, saying it was of natural causes.

    Published in 1951, “The Catcher in the Rye” became Mr. Salinger’s most famous work with its distinctive depiction of its angry, iconoclastic teenage protagonist, Holden Caulfield. Mr. Salinger frequently dealt with the subject of precocious youth in his short stories of the Glass family, as well as “Franny and Zooey,” a collection of two long short stories. He had not published a new work since 1965, and lived in near-total isolation, having refused the attention of the literary world and the news media for decades.

    A full obituary for J. D. Salinger can be found here.

    http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/28/jd-salinger-91-is-dead/

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    Game Cat jeneria's Avatar
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    Re: J.D. Salinger author of "Catcher in the Rye" dies at 91

    Some people turn to the Bible in times of need, I turn to Franny and Zooey. 

    "It's everybody, I mean. Everything everybody does is so--I don't know--not wrong, or even mean, or even stupid, necessarily. But just so tiny and meaningless--and sad-making. And the worst part is, if you go bohemian or something crazy like that, you're conforming just as much as everybody else, only in a different way."

    He got it, he really got it.  He got it so well he had to become a recluse.

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    Senior Member TheFavoriteDaughter's Avatar
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    Re: J.D. Salinger author of "Catcher in the Rye" dies at 91

    One of my student aides was pretty upset when he read this on the internet. He really identified with Holden Caufield when they were reading it in English. He's a great kid but he has some serious issues so I think that's why.
    Suzanne Knight (21) brutally raped and devoured 3 toddlers while on a meth binge before hanging herself Marky69: If those toddlers didnt want to be eaten then they shouldnt of looked so god damned delicious. RIP Suzanne

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    Re: J.D. Salinger author of "Catcher in the Rye" dies at 91

    I had no idea Salinger was even alive...

    I do think about Catcher in the Rye sometimes. An interesting read for sure, but even more interesting is the subculture behind it. A number of killers have allegedly been inspired by reading it. When I heard that, I had to read it cover to cover in one sitting to find out why. To this day, I really don't know why it has inspired nutjobs to kill. But I think that maybe the distaste Holden had for "phonies" is so palpable that it forces the reader to identify with this sort of hatred. As soon as you can identify with hate, you can kill.

    Salinger's obit said he was a very private man. I would be very private too if I wrote books that dudes try to kill Presidents over.

  5. #5
    deliberate_misuse
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    Re: J.D. Salinger author of "Catcher in the Rye" dies at 91

    [quote author=partyguy link=topic=24016.msg1521126#msg1521126 date=1264712830]

    Salinger's obit said he was a very private man. I would be very private too if I wrote books that dudes try to kill Presidents over.
    [/quote]

    I believe it was Mark David Chapman who killed John Lennon because of the book.

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    Re: J.D. Salinger author of "Catcher in the Rye" dies at 91

    I read catcher in the rye in honors English when I was a sophomore in HS and I thought it was dumb. I didn't find any significance to it. I didn't relate or anything. Everyone in class was wetting themselves over it and I hated it.
    Does that make me a nonconformist? Lol. I guess I should reread it, maybe in my wise old age, I like it more.

    Rip JD.   

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    Senior Member TheFavoriteDaughter's Avatar
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    Re: J.D. Salinger author of "Catcher in the Rye" dies at 91

    [quote author=deliberate_misuse link=topic=24016.msg1521131#msg1521131 date=1264712995]
    I believe it was Mark David Chapman who killed John Lennon because of the book.
    [/quote]

    John Hinckley Jr 

    [quote author=ZoMyGoddess! link=topic=24016.msg1521148#msg1521148 date=1264713425]
    I read catcher in the rye in honors English when I was a sophomore in HS and I thought it was dumb. I didn't find any significance to it. I didn't relate or anything. Everyone in class was wetting themselves over it and I hated it.
    Does that make me a nonconformist? Lol. I guess I should reread it, maybe in my wise old age, I like it more.

    Rip JD.   
    [/quote]

    I didn't like it either but I get why teenage boys like it.
    Suzanne Knight (21) brutally raped and devoured 3 toddlers while on a meth binge before hanging herself Marky69: If those toddlers didnt want to be eaten then they shouldnt of looked so god damned delicious. RIP Suzanne

  8. #8
    deliberate_misuse
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    Re: J.D. Salinger author of "Catcher in the Rye" dies at 91

    [quote author=TheFavoriteDaughter link=topic=24016.msg1521153#msg1521153 date=1264713510]
    John Hinckley Jr  

    [/quote]

    No, no, no!  John Hinckley, Jr. shot at Ronald Reagan because of Jodi Foster.  Mark David Chapman shot John Lennon because of Catcher in the Rye.

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    Re: J.D. Salinger author of "Catcher in the Rye" dies at 91

    I read "Catcher in the Rye" when I was in high school, and absolutely related to it.  I still love the book, and now I'll probably reread it.

    I understand why Salinger opted for a life of solitude, and I respect him for it.  I wouldn't be able to deal with fame, either, and pretty much always just want to be left alone.

    RIP Mr. Salinger.
    "A vagabond dreamer, a rhymer and singer of songs
    Singing to no one and nowhere to really belong." - Waylon Jennings

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    Re: J.D. Salinger author of "Catcher in the Rye" dies at 91

    [quote author=deliberate_misuse link=topic=24016.msg1521184#msg1521184 date=1264715140]
    No, no, no!  John Hinckley, Jr. shot at Ronald Reagan because of Jodi Foster.  Mark David Chapman shot John Lennon because of Catcher in the Rye.
    [/quote]

    Yes, but he was also obsessed with Catcher in the Rye.
    Suzanne Knight (21) brutally raped and devoured 3 toddlers while on a meth binge before hanging herself Marky69: If those toddlers didnt want to be eaten then they shouldnt of looked so god damned delicious. RIP Suzanne

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    Re: J.D. Salinger author of "Catcher in the Rye" dies at 91

    Per wikipedia:
    "Mark David Chapman's shooting of John Lennon, John Hinckley, Jr.'s assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan, Robert John Bardo's shooting of Rebecca Schaeffer and other murders have also been associated with the novel."


    But after the first crackpot kills someone over the book. Everyone else after is just copycatting. So it may not be that the book inspires people to kill. It may be that it inspired ONE crazy person, then other crazies decided to get the book just because they think that it should somehow be associated with the act of killing. Who knows.

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    Re: J.D. Salinger author of "Catcher in the Rye" dies at 91

    Partyguy has a point.  Copycat's are pretty common.

    But, still, every nutcase who kills someone is obsessed with something whether it be a book, a song, a woman or even a dog.
    "A vagabond dreamer, a rhymer and singer of songs
    Singing to no one and nowhere to really belong." - Waylon Jennings

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    Game Cat jeneria's Avatar
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    Re: J.D. Salinger author of "Catcher in the Rye" dies at 91

    [quote author=ZoMyGoddess! link=topic=24016.msg1521148#msg1521148 date=1264713425]
    I read catcher in the rye in honors English when I was a sophomore in HS and I thought it was dumb. I didn't find any significance to it. I didn't relate or anything. Everyone in class was wetting themselves over it and I hated it.
    Does that make me a nonconformist? Lol. I guess I should reread it, maybe in my wise old age, I like it more.

    Rip JD.     
    [/quote]

    I don't think many people like it in high school.  I don't think it resonates until you read it several years removed from the pain and stupidity of high school.  Try it again.

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    Moderator bowieluva's Avatar
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    Re: J.D. Salinger author of "Catcher in the Rye" dies at 91

    Gee, it may not be the book that inspired it? You mean a book a crazy person thought was talking to him that in no way advocated murder? Ya think?

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    mydeathspace
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    Re: J.D. Salinger author of "Catcher in the Rye" dies at 91

    [quote author=bowieluva link=topic=24016.msg1521492#msg1521492 date=1264730898]
    Gee, it may not be the book that inspired it? You mean a book a crazy person thought was talking to him that in no way advocated murder? Ya think?
    [/quote]

    Exactly why I don't listen to that Marilyn Manson character. I'd hate for his music to influence me into shooting up a highschool. 

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    Re: J.D. Salinger author of "Catcher in the Rye" dies at 91

    [quote author=mydeathspace link=topic=24016.msg1522064#msg1522064 date=1264792315]
    Exactly why I don't listen to that Marilyn Manson character. I'd hate for his music to influence me into shooting up a highschool. 
    [/quote]
    What's really weird is when you do that even after writing a long manifesto about how much he sucks and KMFDM rules.

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    Re: J.D. Salinger author of "Catcher in the Rye" dies at 91

    People blame books and music for shit like mass murder because it gives them a reason to keep talking about it and to act like they're trying to solve the problems of humanity. 

    Sometimes people are just crazy and evil.  :lol:
    "A vagabond dreamer, a rhymer and singer of songs
    Singing to no one and nowhere to really belong." - Waylon Jennings

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    Moderator bowieluva's Avatar
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    Re: J.D. Salinger author of "Catcher in the Rye" dies at 91

    [quote author=Nomad link=topic=24016.msg1522079#msg1522079 date=1264793764]
    People blame books and music for shit like mass murder because it gives them a reason to keep talking about it and to act like they're trying to solve the problems of humanity. 

    Sometimes people are just crazy and evil.  :lol:
    [/quote]
    The one book that I think has legitimately inspired a lot of murder and violence is the Bible.

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    Senior Member Hellbettie's Avatar
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    Re: J.D. Salinger author of "Catcher in the Rye" dies at 91

    [quote author=bowieluva link=topic=24016.msg1522087#msg1522087 date=1264794248]
    The one book that I think has legitimately inspired a lot of murder and violence is the Bible.
    [/quote]

    I was thinking that

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    Re: J.D. Salinger author of "Catcher in the Rye" dies at 91

    [quote author=Nomad link=topic=24016.msg1522079#msg1522079 date=1264793764]
    People blame books and music for shit like mass murder because it gives them a reason to keep talking about it and to act like they're trying to solve the problems of humanity. 

    Sometimes people are just crazy and evil.  :lol:
    [/quote]

    I totally agree with you.  I think it's a cop out to blame humanity problems on the media.  I don't know how many times in my life I have heard "The 'devil' made me do it."  People love to blame their problems on someone or something else.  The fat is some people just have issues.

    I thought the book was ok when I read it in highshool but it would have never given me an idea to murder someone.  haha either would the bible.

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    Re: J.D. Salinger author of "Catcher in the Rye" dies at 91

    I didn't read the catcher in the rye in high school i read it in my mid twenties...the  part that sticks out is the part where I think the teacher is telling Holden he should go to college to find out what his limits are....I thought that was cool because I always heard old farts saying  the skies the limit you can be anything in the world you want to be. pure b.s.

    I didnt think he was still alive either..  91,    is that a record here?  R.I.P.
    If I was on death row and given one last meal I would ask for a fortune cookie. "Come on 'long prosperous life!'"-Mitch Hedberg

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    Game Cat jeneria's Avatar
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    Re: J.D. Salinger author of "Catcher in the Rye" dies at 91

    People everywhere are trying to tear him down.  He was a domineering man, yes, but he didn't make anyone do anything horrid enough to warrant even an Anne Rule novel.  Can't we just leave him alone?

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