The Catcher in the Rye - photo 1
The Catcher in the Rye - photo 2

The Catcher in the Rye

Lot 225
28.01.2025 10:00UTC -05:00
Classic
Sold
$ 22 680
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUSA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1360938
Lot 225 | The Catcher in the Rye
Estimate value
$ 20 000 – 30 000
SALINGER, J.D. (1919-2010). The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1951.

"If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. In the first place, that stuff bores me, and in the second place, my parents would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told anything pretty personal about them."

First edition, first printing, in a superlative example of the first issue dust-jacket. Salinger's timeless novel follows one of the 20th century's most enduring characters, the lonely, compassionate, and quixotic Holden Caulfield, following his expulsion from prep school. Saddened by the "phoniness" around him, he says goodbye to Pennsylvania and sets out for New York City. Caulfield is considered the embodiment of youthful confusion and frustration, making the novel, for many readers, a timeless reflection on adolescence—particularly teenage alienation and the struggle to find one's identity. The novel's themes of innocence, loss, and rebellion have resonated deeply with readers across generations. A fine and bright copy, in a pristine example of the first issue dust-jacket, without any of the usual tanning.

Octavo. Original black cloth, spine stamped in gilt (only a hint of rubbing to gilt and touch of spotting to top edge). Pictorial dust jacket printed in red, black, and yellow, with the author's photograph on rear panel (price-clipped, barely discernable 5 mm closed tear to top edge).
Place of origin:USA
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
20 Rockefeller Plaza
10020 New York
USA
Preview
14.01.2025 – 28.01.2025
Phone +1 212 636 2000
Fax +1 212 636 4930
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase
Shipping Postal service
Courier service
pickup by yourself
Payment methods Wire Transfer
Business hoursBusiness hours
Mo 09:30 – 17:00   
Tu 09:30 – 17:00   
We 09:30 – 17:00   
Th 09:30 – 17:00   
Fr 09:30 – 17:00   
Sa closed
Su closed

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.