"Catcher" author Salinger dies at 91

"The Catcher in the Rye" author J.D. Salinger died of natural cause aged 91 at his home in New Hampshire, U.S. media reported Friday.

A copy of J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye" IS seen at a bookstore in Washington, DC., January. 28, 2010. Salinger has died at 91, his agent said Thursday, raising tantalizing questions over whether the legendary writer might have left behind a hoard of unpublished works.

The American post-war literary classic "The Catcher in the Ray," published in 1951, featuring the teenage hero Holden Caulfield, resonated with adolescent and young adult readers.

Generations of young people read the novel and embraced Caulfield, the phony-hating personification of teenage angst, as a proxy for their own experiences.

"Catcher" has been translated into the world's major languages and sold more than 65 million copies. It is routinely listed among the best novels of the 20th century.

Besides "Catcher," the U.S. author published only a few books and collections of short stories, including "9 Stories," "Franny and Zooey," "Raise High the Roofbeam, Carpenters" and "Seymour: - An Introduction."

Copies of "The Catcher in the Rye" by author J.D. Salinger are seen at a bookstore in Washington, DC., January. 28, 2010.
(AFP)