After Mark David Chapman shot John Lennon in cold blood in New York, he did not run. Instead, he stayed at the crime scene, reading the book he was obsessed with: The Catcher in the Rye, by JD Sallinger. In the book he wrote: this is my statement.
Even before the murder, The Catcher in the Rye was controversial. It was banned in schools because of the offensive language. Yet it has been regarded as a masterpiece since its publication in 1951. Critics praised it for its sharp outline of ‘the youth’. And readers couldn’t get enough: the book spent thirty weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.
Young people still recognize themselves in the theme of the novel: isolation, misunderstanding, the loss of innocence and depression. The book is anti-establishment, cool and cynical; arguably the ultimate coming of age novel. The author, JD Sallinger, retired from society. Who was he? And how did The Catcher in the Rye become such a classic?
Michel Krielaars discusses it with book editor Thomas de Veen and writer Tobi Lakmaker. An episode about traumas, purity, annoying main characters and how books can be misinterpreted.
This is the fifth installment in a series of books that changed the world.
- Presentation:
- Michel Krielaars
- Guests:
- Thomas de Veen & Tobi Lakmaker
- Editing and editing:
- Jeanne Gerken