J.D. Salinger Shuffles Off Mortal Coil

J.D. Salinger, best known as the author of The Catcher in the Rye, died this week in New Hampshire at the age of 91.

What a run!

Salinger authored the somewhat controversial and yet beloved book in 1951, which is frequently taught in high schools around the nation. Holden Caulfield is the "hero" of the book, who it is suggested actually lives in a mental asylum or sanitarium for disturbed youth.

While the book is widely assigned now in schools, in its literary beginnings, it was seen as controversial to assign teens to read the meandering and sometimes strange book about a teen's personal struggles. The book is known as something of a literary rallying cry for angst-filled youth, as the story revolves around a stressed, disturbed teen who can't seem to find comfort in anything in the world. Things are either too fake or simply not interesting enough to catch his attention.

Salinger referred to his most popular character in other literary works.

Salinger was also a WWII veteran who was Jewish, like recently deceased writer and social activist Howard Zinn, who also passed away this week on Wednesday, at nearly 90.

Salinger had not written for decades, though the popularity of The Catcher in the Rye has remained strong for decades.