Since its publication 75 years ago, this classic novel has still a huge target of censors.
According to PEN America, book censorship has reached unprecedented levels in the United States. According to data collected this past April during National Library Week, pressure groups and government organizations intiated 72% of demands to censor books in schools and public libraries. Many of these organized efforts to target books cover social issues such as race, gender and LGBTQ+ themes. Since 2021, there have been nearly 23,000 instances of book bans that have taken place in public schools nationwide since 2021.
Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post
In an article published in 2023 by the Los Angeles Times, journalist Patrick J. Kiger revealed ten notable classical works that have been banned or challenged over the years. One of the books that has been challenged throughout the years has been J.D Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye.
The coming-of-age novel follows and is narrated by 16-year-old Holden Caulfield, who goes on a weekend trip back home to New York City after being expelled from his boarding prep school. While struggling with the death of his brothers and the stresses of life, Holden tries to search for connection and authenticity, ultimately finding solace through his little sister, Phoebe, before seeking treatment.
The Catcher in the Rye is often considered controversial and frequently has been banned or challenged in multiple school districts because of its mature themes. The text includes vulgar language, underage smoking and drinking, multiple sexual references and is ultimately a story about rebelling against authority. Though some view it as inappropriate for young readers, others see it as a classic coming-of-age story that realistically explores teenage angst, feelings and mental health.
Though Salinger avoided talking about the controversy surrounding his novel, he once said, according to TIME, that "all my best friends are children. It's almost unbearable for me to realize that my book will be kept on a shelf out of their reach."
A January 28, 2010 photo shows a copies of "The Catcher in the Rye" by author J.D. Salinger at a bookstore in Washington, DC.When Salinger released The Catcher in the Rye in July 1951, it was an immediate success. Readers loved his depiction of adolescent alienation and the loss of innocence that Holden experiences. He followed his novel with two short story collections: Nine Stories (1953) and Franny and Zooey (1961), as well as two novellas in 1963: Raise High the Roof Beam and Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction. His last published work, another novella titled Hapworth 16, 1924, was published in The New Yorker on June 19, 1965.
The writer passed away on Jan. 27, 2010, due to natural causes at 91 years old. Though Catcher in the Rye was his only full novel, Salinger wrote for 50 years before publishing anything, and his widow, Colleen O'Neill Zakrzeskyi Salinger, and his son, Matt, became the executors of his estate and were preparing to publish some of those works.
Catcher in the Rye can be purchased as an e-book on the Kindle Store, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble and Kobo for $9.99. Meanwhile, physical copies range from $11 to $20 from various book and grocery stores.
Related: 1885 Best-Selling Classic Was Published in North America 141 Years Ago Today
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