J.D. Salinger Sues Anonymous Author of Catcher in the Rye Sequel

Posted on June 1, 2009

J. D. Salinger is suing the author of a copycat novel that purports to take up where The Catcher in the Rye left off.

Lawyers for Salinger filed the lawsuit in federal court in Manhattan on Monday. The lawsuit seeks to force a recall of what it says is a copycat book titled "60 Years Later" by a "John Doe" author writing under the name "John David California." It also seeks unspecified damages.
The lawsuit said the right to create a sequel to "The Catcher in the Rye" or to use the character "Holden Caufield" belongs only to Salinger. The lawsuit says Salinger has "decidedly chosen not to exercise that right."

Now this is what we call an interesting lawsuit. Will the reclusive J.D. Salinger appear at the trial? Will the identity of the anonymous author be revealed? It's all quite interesting.