J D Salinger - tribute to teenage days

Like most of us, there would be only few things one would fondly remember about their teenage days “The Catcher in the Rye” is one of them. Now when J D Salinger is no more with us, and if I have to write about him, there is mostly through this book I can relate to him. It is very different if you think of let’s say Hemmingway. May be the reclusive self of Salinger was the way to preserve the glory of this book. This book that has a cult following among teenagers hasn’t lost the charm even today and would be so for generations to come.

I didn’t know how popular the book was before I read it, and from the first page itself I was transfixed. How could Salinger pen the exact emotions? How could he reflect the world as a teenager sees it that accurately? The cocktail of emotions, thought, insecurities, youthfulness, curiousity, rebellion; they could never have been described that perfectly. Every teen can see themselves in Holden Caulfield.

When an adult, no one would like to glorify the teenage days, can speak high of Holden Caulfield, or even recommend this book and that’s the strength of this book. This is what Salinger wanted it to be - the anathema of corrupt adulthood. He wanted all of us to preserve the innocence of not growing up. Though he published four other works, what can we say about a writer who famously said ''There is a marvellous peace in not publishing. Publishing is a terrible invasion of my privacy. I love to write for myself and my own pleasure”

I don’t know what to feel at his death, the reclusive and loner J D Salinger was never among us even when he was alive, and his alter ego Holden Caulfield will be alive for generations to come. May be this is the ‘phoniness’ of death.

Few days ago, we had already lost one other author, Erich Seagal, and now J D Salinger; already a bad start of this year. May both of them rest in peace.