I first read J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye in high school, and it was love at first page. When I revisted it in my twenties, however, Holden and I didn’t connect quite as well—I guess you really do have to catch that book at the right time. Still, there was no denying Salinger’s writing talent. That’s why I’ve picked up Franny and Zooey, Nine Stories, and Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour. And each time, I was left thinking about them for days. That’s the Jerome David Salinger effect! So, I’ve compiled ten of his quotes that’ll take you back to those beloved classics—or maybe inspire a first-time read. Enjoy!
1. “I’m sick of just liking people. I wish to God I could meet somebody I could respect.”
― Franny and Zooey
2. “Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.”
― The Catcher in the Rye
3. “Who wants flowers when you’re dead? Nobody.”
― The Catcher in the Rye
4. “I’m sick of not having the courage to be an absolute nobody.”
― Franny and Zooey
5. “People always clap for the wrong reasons.”
― The Catcher in the Rye
6. “I’m just sick of ego, ego, ego. My own and everybody else’s. I’m sick of everybody that wants to get somewhere, do something distinguished and all, be somebody interesting. It’s disgusting.”
― Franny and Zooey
7. “I love you to pieces, distraction, etc.”
― Franny and Zooey
8. “Poets are always taking the weather so personally. They’re always sticking their emotions in things that have no emotions.”
― Teddy from Nine Stories
9. “I’m a kind of a paranoiac in reverse. I suspect people of plotting to make me happy.”
― Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction
10. “The most singular difference between happiness and joy is that happiness is a solid and joy a liquid.”
― De Daumier-Smith’s Blue Period from Nine Stories
Your turn to sound off! Tell me your top pick in the comments, and feel free to share on your socials―just don’t forget to tag The Rockle. And if you want more literary inspo, hop over to our other quote collections:
📖 Virginia Woolf: 10 Powerful Quotes
📖 Hunter S. Thompson’s Best Quotes
📖 Ernest Hemingway in 10 Quotes
📖 John Steinbeck: 13 Memorable Quotes
📖 Jack Kerouac: 10 Noteworthy Quotes