Three Unpublished Works by J.D. Salinger Revealed
By: Caryn Robbins Nov. 29, 2013
According to Entertainment Weekly, an anonymous uploader has leaked three previously unpublished works of famed author J.D. Salinger. In the past, the stories were only available at research libraries. Now however, "The Ocean Full of Bowling Balls," "Paula," and "Birthday Boy" have been traced to an eBay auction that concluded on Sept. 23. Shockingly, the stories from the reclusive author were purchased for the low bid of $110.
Kenneth Slawenski, a Salinger expert, has confirmed the authenticity of the books, according to BuzzFeed, the site which first reported the leak.
"Bowling Balls," which was reportedly not to be published until Jan. 27, 2060 (a date which marks 50 years after Salinger's death), per an agreement with Princeton. Described as a "prequel" to Salinger's most famous work, Catcher in the Rye, the story was originally written for Harper's Bazaar.
Salinger gained attention in 1948, when his critically acclaimed story "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" appeared in The New Yorke rmagazine, which became home to much of his later work. In 1951, his novel The Catcher in the Rye was an immediate popular success. His depiction of adolescent alienation and loss of innocence in the protagonist Holden Caulfield was influential, especially among adolescent readers. The novel remains widely read and controversial,[notes 1] selling around 250,000 copies a year.
The success of The Catcher in the Rye led to public attention and scrutiny: Salinger became reclusive, publishing new work less frequently. He followed Catcher with a short story collection, Nine Stories (1953), a volume containing a novella and a short story, Franny and Zooey (1961); and a volume containing two novellas: Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction (1963). His last published work, a novella entitled "Hapworth 16, 1924", appeared in The New Yorker on June 19, 1965.
Source: EW
Comments
Videos