Is Salinger the greatest American author?

...

No, but he's good, and Catcher in the Rye strikes a very specific chord to many people, and it is one of the best books in American literature. Too small an output to call him the greatest

Why was he so mistrusting and reclusive? He had a fit over some high school interviewing him then it being published in major papers, which made him go full on recluse.

My father actually met Salinger a few times as a child since he stopped for gas at the place he worked at as an attendant. He said he was a tall and imposing figure who would barely talk to you. Had at least two dogs in his car most times that yapped like crazy. Also said his manager specifically told him not to bother him or bring up his work in any way. My aunt also continued to live in that town and would see Salinger as an old man with his wife (caretaker?) in the grocery store up until he died. Said he became a cranky and decrepit old man who scowled and complained to his wife. I have always been interested in him since due to this connection, but I still can't quite figure him out as a person.

Damn right he is, OP.

>My father actually met Salinger a few times as a child since he stopped for gas at the place he worked at as an attendant. He said he was a tall and imposing figure who would barely talk to you. Had at least two dogs in his car most times that yapped like crazy. Also said his manager specifically told him not to bother him or bring up his work in any way. My aunt also continued to live in that town and would see Salinger as an old man with his wife (caretaker?) in the grocery store up until he died. Said he became a cranky and decrepit old man who scowled and complained to his wife. I have always been interested in him since due to this connection, but I still can't quite figure him out as a person.

I don't believe your story, user. I'm sorry.

>he became a cranky and decrepit old man who scowled and complained to his wife

Hopefully he was complaining about phonies.

I saw Salinger in a supermarket in New Hampsire 2 years before he died.
I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn't want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything,
He said, "Hrmmmm, like you're doing right now?"
I was taken aback, and all I could say was "Huh?" but he kept cutting me off and going "hrmm? hrmm? hrmm?" and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with a stack of like 15 frozen dinners in his hands without paying.
The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like "Sir, you need to pay for those first." At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.
When she took one of the dinners and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan each individually "to prevent any demonic exorcision," and then turned around and winked at me. I don't even think that's a word. After she scanned each ration and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by ranting about fake news. In retrospect, it was actually very funny.

Nope, either Melville or Pynchon for prose.

No, he didn't and couldn't understand what it really meant to be American.

Shut the fuck up, you dumb prosefag

not even best American Jew writer