Although he became known almost as much for his reclusive ways as for his seminal YA novels, JA Salinger is a giant among writers. What impressed me most about him was his ability to give us narrators that intrigued – they weren’t quick to unlock their secrets or reveal their demons. Salinger left that job to the reader, and that’s why we pored over them again and again.
As for the reclusiveness, if I could pull that off I’d have written 10 novels by now. RIP, J.D. Salinger, you will always be my ultimate idol.