Salinger, acclaimed author of such classics as Catcher in the Rye and Franny and Zooey, has died at 91, according to the Associated Press.
Published in 1951, Catcher in the Rye, with its teenage protagonist Holden Caulfield, became a staple of American literature.
In recent years Salinger became known as one of that country's most famous literary recluses, refusing interviews and public appearances.
He also recently made headlines when sued another writer for writing an unauthorized sequel to Catcher in the Rye.