J.D. Salinger, the famously reclusive author whose novel, “The Catcher in the Rye,’’ was one of the best-selling books of the 20th century, died at his Cornish, N.H. home. He was 91.
Mr. Salinger died of natural causes Wednesday, said a statement from Harold Ober Associates, Mr. Salinger’s literary agency.

“Catcher in the Rye’’ is estimated to have sold more than 60 million copies worldwide since being published in 1951. It continues to sell about 200,000 copies annually.
A staple of student reading lists, the novel boasts one of the most celebrated characters in post-World War II American fiction, its narrator, Holden Caulfield.

And it is Holden Caulfield, arguably Jerome David Salinger's most famous protagonist from Catcher in the Rye, who perfectly captures what many would feel is what Salinger would have wanted in death.

"Who wants flowers when you're dead? Nobody."

Rest in peace, Mr. Salinger. I won't give you flowers because I know you wouldn't want them. Thank you for your wonderful literary contributions.

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