Salinger, J.D. | A landmark in post-war American literature

Salinger, J.D.

The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1951

8vo (200 x 133 mm). Publisher's black cloth, spine gilt-lettered; hinges slightly loose, light fading to gilt-lettering. Original dust-jacket, illustration by Michael Mitchell on upper cover and spine, with the photographic portrait of the author by Lotte Jacobi on the rear panel; lightly toned, one or two creases, tiny nicks at head and tail of the spine, abrasion to head of the spine panel and foot of the rear panel, the latter affecting the portrait. In a red slipcase with folding chemise.

First edition of this contemporary American classic

The Book-Of-The-Month Club picked up The Catcher in the Rye just after it was set in galleys. Salinger, ever averse to publicity of any sort, felt the portrait photo on the back cover, as seen in this copy, was too big. He later lobbied to have the photograph removed, and it has not been reprinted since.

Salinger worked on Catcher, chronicling Holden Caulfield’s escape from Pencey Prep—reportedly modeled on the Valley Forge Military Academy that Salinger himself attended—to his personal New York City underground, on and off for ten years. It was finally published to mixed reviews, which praised Salinger’s brilliance and insight but condemned the pervasiveness of obscenities in the novel.

PROVENANCE:

Lesley Holmes (ownership inscription to front free endpaper)