J.D. Salinger’s portrayal of cynical adolescence and the shortcomings of society is what draws many readers to his works. This representation can be seen famously in 16-year-old Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye, and also in the young, brilliant band of misfits he portrays in his (albeit slim) published body of work.
The infatuation readers have with Salinger is just that – an obsession. His well-received first novels and short stories were followed by the famous silence that lasted until his recent death. The new documentary, Salinger, brings light to the author’s recluse in the woods of New Hampshire. We come to see him not only as a mysterious, talented author, but also as a calculated and somewhat manipulative figure in literary society.
But what should we expect? In Nash K. Burger’s review of The Catcher in the Rye from 1951, he writes, “Holden is bewildered, lonely, ludicrous and pitiful. His troubles, his failings are not of his own making but of a world that is out of joint.”
Salinger has been making a sweeping statement about this “out of joint world” from the beginning, and his novels carry this attitude through offbeat, relatable characters that live on the edge of deviance. As Edward Norton states in the 2013 documentary Salinger, “When you’re a kid and you’re reading Catcher in the Rye you’re just like, somebody gets it!” The world through Salinger’s characters is one that is both excruciatingly cynical and honest, making his novels a true pleasure for any reader, young and old.
First Edition copies of The Catcher in the Rye have a few distinct features. The books will have “FIRST EDITION” printed on the copyright page. There is a black-and-white photograph of Salinger on the back panel of the book with the top of his head slightly cut off. The spine is comprised of black cloth that is stamped and lettered in gilt. The price on the first edition copies of The Catcher in the Rye is more bold than later editions and the $ is aligned with the shoulder of the “R” in “Catcher.” There is no book-of-the-month club statement on the front flap of dust jacket. To view our First Edition Copies of The Catcher in the Rye, Click Here.
