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Catcher In The Rye Keeps Low-Profile On 50th Anniversary

© Kevin Reed

"It is an insult to childhood and adulthood," blasted Lawrence Jay Dessner, professor of English at the University of Toledo, in his attack on The Catcher in the Rye. "it is an insult to our idea of civilization, to our ideal land in which ladies and gentlemen try to grow up, try to find and save their dignity."

Scathing words which would draw the ire of any other self-respecting writer are no doubt lost on J.D. Salinger, the mysteriously reclusive author who's most notable work marks it's 50th anniversary this year.

The far-reaching effect of The Catcher in the Rye as the voice of generations past and the flagbearer of teen-age angst are only the tip of the iceberg to the book's overall importance.

Call Holden Caulfield the original rebel without a cause. Salinger's hero broke new ground with it's gripping portrait of a sixteen-year-old coming to grips with loneliness, lack of self-confidence, and the sudden death of his brother. Caulfield's struggles made an instant connection with readers, but the book's status as a classic has not held back the stream of controversy that has shadowed it since it's initial publication.

The novel ranks 10th among the 100 most frequently banned books in the United States, according to a list compiled by the American Library Association. Other titles in the notorious top 10 include Of Mice and Men, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Critics point to the over 700 instances of profanity scattered throughout the book and other aspects of unacceptable language and content, with one group some years back going so far as to label the book's presence in schools as a communist plot.

Detractors aside, The Catcher in the Rye has remained a constant bestseller with over 60 million copies being sold, even without the help of the elusive Salinger - who has transformed himself into somewhat of an enigma.

Famous for not wanting to be famous, Salinger's desire to withdraw from public life increased as critical and popular acclaim for his novel grew. In 1953, Salinger moved to a small cottage in New Hampshire and erected a six-foot-tall fence around his property in a bid to further seal himself off from the outside world. Since then, Salinger - along with his agent and attorneys - have gone to extreme lengths to insure his utmost privacy.

In 1987, legal action by Salinger altered the publication of an unauthorized biography that included portions of some of the author's unpublished letters. Nine years later, Salinger's agent forced "The Holden Server", a popular website devoted to The Catcher in the Rye, to remove quotations from the book that appeared at random when users logged on.

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