The Stylus

Issue date: 2/3/10 Section: Campus Talk

You've probably heard about the death of J.D. Salinger, who died Jan. 28 at the ripe old age of 91. Since then, there have been headlines like NPR's "It's Pretty Personal And All, But I'll Miss Salinger" and my personal favorite from the Onion: "Bunch of Phonies Mourn J.D. Salinger." Of course, this seems like the way the author of The Catcher in the Rye (1951) would want to go out of this world.

But I'll spare you the temptation to talk like Holden Caulfield for now. As a long-time fan of Salinger's writing, it's refreshing to see others take renewed interest in his work. Any time a great artist dies, there are plenty of bandwagon "phonies" who step into the limelight and claim to be fans while the real fans sit back in disgust. And it's understandable why some would refrain from expressing their affinity for stories written by a guy who had an incriminating past - who lived as a hermit for years, drove his wife away and had a relationship with an 18-year-old girl when he was 53. What a role model, right?

Regardless of his personal life, Salinger had an undeniable gift for not just telling a story, but recreating life experiences through fiction. The kind of stuff that makes you finish a whole book in a single sitting. Reading Catcher for me has come to be a very sentimental experience, and each time I re-read the book it's impossible not to laugh at the dialogue about rich people, little kids or nuns and say to myself, "That is so true!" And that's just the sort of style his characters, especially Holden, have always evoked.

"Part of the genius of Salinger is that he makes you feel part of a very special club, and an a--hole at the same time - and you love him and agree with him on both counts," said Wall Street Journal writer Thomas Beller.

I couldn't agree more.

Every high-schooler in America has probably read the coming-of-age tale about a foul-mouthed teenage boy struggling with growing pains and human emotions like love and loss, it's an English class staple in the United States. Of course, it was the most censored piece of adolescent literature for nearly 20 years for its language and sex talk, but how can you explain the way it has survived more than half a century of renown? The answer is simple: Salinger understood people.

When I first read Catcher I was sucked into the mind of the young narrator who talked nonstop in a way that was easy to understand. Sure, he turns out to be crazy, but who can deny the rawness of this narration that reads like a marble notebook journal of an extremely observant and rebellious 17-year-old.

Continued...

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