It amazes me that a single short book like Catcher in the Rye can have such a profound impact. Salinger wrote almost nothing else of lasting value (yeah, some of his short stories are OK, but they aren't classics), and yet he is consistently rated as one of the most popular U.S. authors ever. It's very easy to argue that more prolific American authors (e.g., Twain, Hemingway, Fitzgerald) should be revered above Salinger. But it's impossible to dispute the simple truth that Catcher in the Rye touches a raw nerve that eludes all but a few other modern novels. And Salinger's mysterious personal life makes him an even more interesting character. His status as a recluse is legendary. And I have yet to read a good analysis of Salinger's feelings about Eastern religions. It's clear from Catcher in the Rye that he has been influenced by Buddhism, but critics don't seem to write about that very much. Also, I'd be very curious to know if it's true that he's been writing and hiding manuscript after manuscript since the publication of Catcher. What a scene it would be if we suddenly discover that Salinger has written 20 unpublished novels...
