All day long I had the radio blaring in the warehouse where I work. I had it on CBC [talk-radio] as usual.At a certain point in the day I heard the announcement that J.D. Salinger had died.
And I just stopped.
I knew it would happen one day, I mean, he was 91 years old and all, but geez -- it just shocked me. Honestly, [I'm not making this up] just the other day I was in the bookstore [as I am right now, typing this], and as I passed by one table of books I thought I saw the name Salinger.
And I realized that for a long while now I've had this inner expectation -- as though Salinger would one day produce another novel.
But no. It wasn't him.
And now, today -- the news that he is gone. The fact that he has not published anything since I was 17 months old old [1965] aside, I can't help but feel that the world has lost a literary icon.
Perhaps something will posthumously be published, one day.
Salinger once said, “There is a marvelous peace in not publishing. It’s peaceful. Still. Publishing is a terrible invasion of my privacy. I like to write. I love to write. But I write just for myself and my own pleasure.”
I can't imagine how awesome it would be to be able to read some of that stuff.
At the same time -- we must respect the man's privacy.
In my opinion, the world has lost one of the most reclusive, mysterious, non-prolific, and yet influential authors of all time. Click on the image below, to see a terrific article:
J.D. SalingerJanuary 1, 1919 – January 27, 2010
*****
I can't say I thought Catcher in the Rye was all that when I read it but I know many people love the book. Still, when I heard the news I was surprised and a little sad. It will be interesting to see if his heirs publish any of that private writing.
ReplyDeleteIt's one of the few books that I have read twice. The second time it was to make sure that I didn't miss something, after all the praises about this novel that I had heard. Nonetheless I kept my first impression of a much overrated book. It's the writing style, more than the plot, that I find weak.
ReplyDeleteSince he passed away, what has amazed me more than anything is how very dismissive many readers are of his work today. I've seen derisive comments just about everywhere regarding Catcher in the Rye and I'm just stunned.
ReplyDeleteTo each their own, I suppose, but this is the man that introduced a goodly number of teens to what it means to read a book...that books can encapsulate your feelings, that you're not alone in this world. JD Salinger converted many angst-ridden teens into adult book lovers.
This must be one of the most misunderstood books of our time. I loved it. I still feel like kicking up a stone or two while walking with the narrators voice in my head.
ReplyDeleteI was always hoping for more publications from this great writer. I love his short stories.
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