There’s a new book about J.D. Salinger on the way – Salinger: The Private War of J.D. Salinger by David Shields and Shane Salerno is due out September 3rd. The co-authors of the new Salinger biography spent eight years completing exhaustive research, conducting countless interviews with countless people, and compiling and organizing as much information as possible about J.D. Salinger, famously one of the 20th century’s most reclusive, mysterious public figures. Many are calling it the definitive biography of Salinger, who stopped publishing in 1965, and did his best to stay out of the public eye. But more torturous for his fans than the lack of more Salinger writing wad the knowledge that the author was indeed writing, but only for himself and his own pleasure, and not making it available.
Now Salerno and Shields say claim that not only have five previously-unreleased Salinger novels been discovered, they’ve now also been verified, documented and authenticated by independent sources in the know, and are slated to be released beginning sometime in or soon after 2015.
The Salinger books would revisit “Catcher” protagonist Holden Caulfield and draw on Salinger’s World War II years and his immersion in Eastern religion. The material also would feature new stories about the Glass family of “Franny and Zooey” and other Salinger works.
Again, it must be a complicated excitement for fans – while there is no doubt the newly unearthed Salinger works will be highly sought-after and enjoyed, it’s also clear that it’s not what Salinger himself would want. Neither his son Matt nor his widow Colleen approved of Shields’ and Salerno’s book, and neither of them cooperated with the pair.
Originally Posted by Jean
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