Publication of The Catcher in the Rye

J. D. Salinger's novel is narrated by Holden Caulfield, a sixteen-year-old expelled from his prep school, who spends a few days wandering New York City before facing his family. In his distinctive voice, full of slang and scorn for what he calls phoniness, he reveals his grief for his dead brother and his fears about growing up. The novel is a study of alienation and of lost innocence. It was an immediate success, became a symbol of teenage rebellion, and was frequently challenged or banned in schools. Salinger became increasingly reclusive and published little afterward.

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