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The Catcher in the Rye is a 1951 novel by J. D. Salinger.[3] Originally published for adults, it has since become popular with adolescent readers for its themes of teenage angst and alienation.[4][5] It has been translated into almost all of the world's major languages.[6] Around 250,000 copies are sold each year with total sales of more than 65 million books.[7] The novel's protagonist and antihero, Holden Caulfield, has become an icon for teenage rebellion.[8]
The novel was included on Time's 2005 list of the 100 best English-language novels written since 1923,[9] and it was named by Modern Library and its readers as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. It has been frequently challenged in the United States and other countries for its liberal use of profanity and portrayal of sexuality.[10][11][12] It also deals with complex issues of identity, belonging, connection, and alienation.