Best known for his landmark novel, “Catcher in the Rye”, J.D. Salinger was one of the most influential American writers of the 20th century. Jerome David Salinger was born on Jan.1, 1919, in New York City to a Jewish rabbi father and a Scottish born mother. His life was quite interesting from birth, not being aware of his mother’s non-Jewish background until after his bar mitzvah, at the age of 14.
The intelligent Salinger wasn’t a very good student, flunking out of New York’s McBurney School in New York and then being sent off to Valley Forge Military Academy, where some of the inspiration for his classic novel “Catcher in the Rye” came from.
After graduating from Valley Forge and a one year stint at New York University, J.D. Salinger headed to Europe to learn a new language and bone up on the import business, at the encouragement of his father. Upon returning back to his home in New York, Salinger attended night classes at the Columbia University, where he met a professor that would change his life forever.
Whit Burnett, a professor as well as an editor saw Salinger’s potential for being an aspiring writer, and soon J.D. Salinger’s work was being published in publications like Collier’s and the Saturday Evening Post.
Salinger’s writing career was interrupted by a stint in the army, when he was drafted into the military because of World War II. He did continue to write during this time when he had the chance, starting to assemble a novel, which would eventually become a masterpiece.
The trauma of the war did take its toll on this inspiring writer and he ended up being hospitalized for a nervous breakdown, the details remaining somewhat of a mystery. He did meet the woman there though who would become his first wife, but the marriage was short-lived. He married a second time to Claire Douglas, the daughter of a high profile British critic. The couple were married about 10 years and had two children.
After returning to New York in 1946, J. D. Salinger was anxious to resume his life as a writer and soon had his work published in The New Yorker. In 1951, his first and greatest novel he ever wrote, “The Catcher in the Rye” was published.
The classic 20th century novel, written in the first person, was centered around a troubled teen who leaves his fancy prep school for an urban walkout. Valley Forge Military Academy, which Salinger attended is considered to be the model for the school in “Catcher in the Rye”.
Although criticized at first, over time “Catcher in the Rye” became an integral part of high school literature curriculum, and has sold over a million copies worldwide. The novel brought Salinger unrivaled literary fame, which once it arrived, became something he would later run away from.
Two years after he published “Catcher in the Rye”, J. D. Salinger pulled up stakes in New York and retreated to a secluded place in New Hampshire, cutting himself off from much of the public. His writing slowed down significantly, but he did continue to produce on a smaller scale.
“A perfect Day for Bannafish”, was a short story of Salinger’s that stood out for him, as well as “Fronney and Zooey” and “Raise High the Roof Beam” were some of his published works in the early 1960s.
Salinger’s first new work in 34 years, a short story in 25,000 words entitled “Hapworth 16, 1924″, was the last piece of his work to be published while he was alive.
Despite J.D. Salinger’s best efforts, his personal life did not always remain private. His divorce from his second wife, an affair with a young college student and an unflattering account in a book by his daughter of her father’s life, all led to the publicity that Salinger tried to avoid.
J.D. Salinger died on January 27, 2010, and there is a lot of speculation that there may be as many as 10 finished novels locked away in his house that never got published.
I really enjoyed reading J.D. Salinger’s works. In my opinion, he was one of the best, most intriguing 20th century authors around. I rather admire the sort of mysterious reclusive lifestyle he led.
Source: http;//www.biography.com/jdsalinger
Personal opinion