"It was once the most censored book in American schools and libraries. Now, the only edition of The Catcher in the Rye that the author JD Salinger signed with his childhood nickname, Sonny, is going up for sale for £225,000.
Salinger was said to have been resentful of friends and family cashing in on the success of his 1951 novel, and as a result signed copies did not make their way into the book market – an inscribed first edition of The Catcher in the Rye was sold at auction only after his death, in 2010.
This edition is inscribed by the author to family friends on the front free endpaper: “To Charles Kirtz with every good wish from JD Salinger (extra greetings to Ada and Victor from Sonny Salinger) New York 10/18/56.”
It is being sold by Peter Harrington Books as part of Firsts: London’s rare book fair, which runs at the Saatchi Gallery from 15-18 September. It is described as a record-breaking item and one of the hardest titles to acquire in 20th-century American fiction.
Pom Harrington, owner of Peter Harrington Books, president of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association and chairman of Firsts book fair, said: “It is perhaps the most elusive prize in 20th-century literature. Auction records show only one appearance of an inscribed first edition – owning an inscribed copy would be the high spot of any serious modern American literature collection.
“The reasons for this owe much to J.D. Salinger’s notorious elusiveness. Salinger was extremely private and shunned publicity in any form, particularly the use of any biographical material to promote his work.”
The fair has a “banned books” theme and The Catcher in the Rye. Salinger’s debut novel, featuring disaffected youth Holden Caulfield – originally published in serial form – has consistently been the subject of controversy in the United States. In 1960 a teacher in Tulsa was fired, though later reinstated, for teaching it in class. In the two decades up to 1982 it was the most censored book in American schools and libraries.
...“The signoff, ‘Sonny’, was the nickname given to Salinger by his parents when he was born. This is the only known inscribed copy of the book to be signed by Salinger using this nickname.”...
Read More: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/sep/11/rare-signed-edition-the-catcher-in-the-rye-on-sale-for...
