Publication of Salinger 'sequel' blocked

[Robert]

What do you think about unauthorized sequels?

Catcher in the Rye sequel published, but not by Salinger
Holden Caulfield returns in an unauthorised sequel by debut novelist

The last we saw of Holden Caulfield, he was in a mental hospital in California, reminiscing about the days he spent roaming New York City, watching his sister Phoebe ride a carousel. Now JD Salinger's much-loved teenage misanthrope is back, thanks to an unauthorised sequel to The Catcher in the Rye, which sees a 76-year-old "Mr C" flee a nursing home to journey again through the streets of New York.


"I open my eyes and, just like that, I'm awake," is the opening line of Swedish American writer John David California's 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye, just out from tiny publisher Windupbird Publishing. "I suppose it's pretty damn early, but it must still be the middle of the night. It's so dark I can hardly see my goddamned hand in front of my face."

View the rest of the article here:
John David California: 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye

 

[Anamnesis]

Uh oh.

 

[davidmiller]

Another sequel on the web?

You might be interested to know that Mr. California isn't the first to attempt a sequel and I came across an interesting site where a similar venture appears to be underway already, except this version appears to begin precisely where the original left off, albeit with the usual name changes etc. The first couple of chapters have already been published.

 

[Peder]

Well, for one thing, Mr. California did not get the voice right.
That is not genuine Holden Caulfield, IMO. :sad:

 

[Robert]

Salinger sues writer over alleged Catcher in the Rye sequel

The reclusive writer JD Salinger has been goaded into another round of litigation by a mystery first-time novelist who has brought the story of Holden Caulfield into the present age in alleged breach of Salinger's copyright.
Salinger, who has spent the past 34 years writing books that he has never allowed to be published and suing anyone who has dared to borrow from his work, has lodged the lawsuit in a New York federal court. He is suing the author, publisher and distributor of a forthcoming novel called 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye, which features a 76-year-old "Mr C".

 

[beer good]

Heh. I didn't know who the publisher was before. Fredrik Colting is a Swede whose company Nicotext publishes titles like The Macho Man's (bad) Joke Book, 100 Things To Do In A Park and 600 Incredibly Useless Facts. Essentially children's books for adults. (Though I'll admit that I thought 90 Classic Books For People In A Hurry was fun.)

But I'm sure that in Coming Through The Rye, he's stumbled across a genuinely great novel which is not in any way the same sort of cheap, derivative commercialism as just about every other book he's ever published.

 

[Bob Magness]

I don't think it should be allowed. Not for profit anyways. And if it is allowed, it better clearly indicate that it is unauthorized on the cover.

 

[Didi_Gogo]

Sometimes there are books that you are sad they they finish and you want more. The Catcher in the Rye is not that book. Not that it wasn't good, I really liked it, but the ending was an ending. I was sufficient, for me, had closure.

 

[Stewart]

I had a look at the book today, won't be buying it. Never was, right enough, but it didn't grab me at all. That voice that's supposed to be Holden Caulfield, wasn't. Just simply wasn't.

 

[beer good]

And unsurprisingly, the author turns out to be the publisher himself. And he confirms that he made up the name JD California to sound like JD Salinger. But he's proud to have written a book that everyone talks about, apparently. Well, what do you expect from the author of The 100 Best And Absolutely Greatest Heavy Metal Albums In The World Ever.

Colting today, on how Salinger is suing him for writing an unauthorized sequel:

The whole blogosphere calls it a sequel, so it's hard for us to say it's not. Of course we don't mind, its just that we never said it was.

Colting on May 26th:

It's a stand-alone sequel to JD Salinger's The Catcher In The Rye.

 

[Peder]

Wondering whether that might not fall into the same category as Fanfic?

 

[Robert]

Is Fredrik Colting's book 60 Years Later fair use or just a 'goddam phony'?

Perhaps the most tantalizing prospect was raised by the sergeant at arms when he called out for the plaintiff: might Salinger finally break his decades-long silence and speak about Holden Caulfield? If this case proceeds, several attorneys said, he may have no choice.

“It's certainly possible,” defense attorney Ned Rosenthal told PW, when asked if he might be the first to interview J.D. Salinger about his most famous character—via a deposition. “There is a very good chance if the case goes forward that Salinger will have to explain his concerns and exactly how [Colting's] book damages him, and not just rely on agents and lawyers to tell the story.” Marcia Paul, Salinger's attorney at Davis Wright Tremaine, politely declined to comment on the case or any aspect of her client's life or work.

 

[Robert]

Publication of Salinger 'sequel' blocked

A New York judge yesterday blocked publication in the US of a book promoted as a sequel to The Catcher in the Rye because it borrows too heavily from JD Salinger's classic tale of teenage angst without providing sufficient critique or parody.