J. D. Salinger - I'll always be Holden's fiancée


I just heard about J. D. Salinger death and I'm deeply pained. I told you in the question / answers post that I had written a thesis on The Catcher in the Rye, so you can imagine how I love that book and that author. To me, he was a genius. He managed to catch the teenager's spirit in a way that no one else ever could. It is such a euphemism to say that he was my favorite author, because he was much more than that. I had always wanted to meet him, to thank him for being so inspirational. After all, my 2010 thesis subject (The evolution of the teenager's representation in American Literature) was based partly on Catcher, and it all started with that book.

And I must tell you, the weirdest thing happened today : I was reading "99F", a book by Beigbeder (French author). Beigbeder loved Salinger too, and he quotes a whole extract from Catcher in his book. I came accross this extract today, and felt the most violent emotion. I hadn't read The Catcher in the Rye for two years, and hadn't thought of it for a long time, and after readind the extract, I nearly burst into tears with joy, because it prompted such a good memory, the memory of the book itself. Right away, I decided that I'd hurry to finish "99F" to re read Catcher this very night.

I saw a friend of mine just after I decided this, and told her about Salinger, and how I loved his books, what a genius he was and ... how old he was. I told her "he's old now and I'm afraid he may soon retire".

Only a few hours later, my boyfriend texted me the sad news, and this time, I burst into tears for real. It is stupid to cry for someone you don't even know, but I felt close to him. Today is a very sad day for Salinger's family, and for all the fans out there.

Let me quote Catcher first lines, that I know by heart :

"If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, an what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. In the first place, that stuff bores me, and in the second place, my parents would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told anything pretty personal about them. They're quite touchy about anything like that, especially my father. They're nice and all--I'm not saying that--but they're also touchy as hell. Besides, I'm not going to tell you my whole goddam autobiography or anything. I'll just tell you about this madman stuff that happened to me around last Christmas just before I got pretty run-down and had to come out here and take it easy."

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  1. JD Salinger's "Franny & Zoe" is the only book in my life I was never able to finish, although I tried 2 times... I did not know whether he was dead or alive, but for me his work already had a sense of eternity!

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  2. It's sad to hear about Salingers passing, but I'm curious. What about The Catcher And The Rye that you enjoyed so much? I read it in tenth grade and nothing really happens in the novel. I'm very interested to hear why it speaks to you so much.

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  3. @ AP : j'ai trouvé Franny & Zooey plutot médiocre, comparé à Catcher, alors ca ne m'étonne pas que tu n'ai pas réussi à le finir. Salinger était capable du pire comme du meilleur, et Catcher était définitivement le meilleur

    @ Release Karma : it's funny because a lot of people say that nothing really happens in the book. 'tis true, i guess! But even though Holden doesn't do much, he thinks about a lot of stuff. I was moved by how Salinger was able to capture a teenager's mind so well. To me, it felt completely right.

    Holden Caulfield will stay my all time favorite character, because he's lives in another world, he's dumb but so sensitive ...

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  4. I'm definitely missing out, I have read this book yet! =]

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  5. oh wow .. did he die recently ? i had no clue

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  6. Bon bah tu m'as donné envie de le lire, je vais voir si ça me fera le meme effet :)

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  7. The fact that "nothing really happens" is perfect - what ever "really happens" in most people's lives? It isn't based around a plot so much as a portrait, as already said, of the teenage mind.

    I heard at work when a guy held up his copy of the book and said to me, "He's dead now." Very sad.

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  8. je ne savais pas pour l'auteur...
    ça me redonne envie de plonger dans le livre

    leen

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  9. Ce commentaire a été supprimé par l'auteur.

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  10. Ce commentaire a été supprimé par l'auteur.

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  11. I've had his book on my shelf for the longest time, waiting for a proper time to read it. I feel that I must now.

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  12. I guess I just didn't feel like I completely could relate to the book, so it didn't appeal to me. It was well written though and I've been meaning to read another of his books. I've just never gotten around to it.

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  13. very sad. he has certainly created golden works to be remembered by...
    xo

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  14. @ L'annimal : c'est pas gentil de me faire re pleurer ! lol Mais merci pour ton message, ca me touche beaucoup de voir que tu as aimé ce livre autant que moi. La citation que tu a choisit tombe fort à propos ...

    Holden, c'est vraiment un ptit con, et c'est tellement vrai quand tu dis qu'il donne envie d'etre gelé et seule, paumé dans central park, à se demander ou vont les canards ...
    on a tous nos raisons d'aimer ce livre, et je pense que je ne comprend pas encore toutes mes raisons ... j'espère qu'un jour, j'y verrais clair la dedans!

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  15. One of my favorite quotes...
    Among other things, you'll find that you're not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior. You're by no means alone on that score, you'll be excited and stimulated to know. Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles. You'll learn from them - if you want to. Just as someday, if you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you. It's a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn't education. It's history. It's poetry. HC

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  16. A quel enfin as-tu volé ces ballons enfin !!

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  17. Bon évidemment, mon post précédent était plutôt destiné à ton article kawai..on l'avait compris ^^"

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  18. @ Elodie : Heuuu j'ai pas bien compris la question lol

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  19. Mdr jle refais en plus cohérent : "a quel enfant as tu vole ces ballons!!" et comme j'ai merde sur mon iPhone, ce com était destine a ton article kawai panda etc. Toutes mes excuses pour la confusion lol

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  20. Aahhh lol d'accord ok ! En fait, ce sont mes ballons d'anniversaire ^^'

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  21. I was sad to hear that he passed even though he didn't publish anything anymore in the past decades. The Catcher in the Rye is one of my favourite books ever

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  22. Genial post and this post helped me alot in my college assignement. Thanks you seeking your information.

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  23. slanellestyle.blogspot.com; You saved my day again.

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