J.D. Salinger Quotes

You know that apple Adam ate in the Garden of Eden, referred to in the Bible?' he asked. 'You know what was in that apple? Logic. Logic and intellectual stuff. That was all that was in it. So—this is...

New York is terrible when somebody laughs on the street very late at night.

People always think something's all true. I don't give a damn, except that I get bored when people tell me to act my age. Sometimes I act a lot older than I am, I really do. But people never notice. P...

My father wrote beautifully, Esmé interrupted. I’m saving a number of his letters for posterity.I said that sounded like a very good idea. I happened to be looking at her enormous-faced, chrono-graphi...

You never get to sit next to the window any more when you're married.

Or you'd just passed by one of those puddles in the street with gasoline rainbows in them. I mean you'd be different in some way—I can't explain what I mean. And even if I could, I'm not sure I'd feel...

I mean it's very hard to meditate and live a spiritual life in America. People think you're a freak if you try to.

She really started to cry, and the next thing I knew, I was kissing her all over - anywhere - her eyes, her nose, her forehead, her eyebrows, and all, her ears - her whole face except her mouth and al...

How in hell are you going to recognize a legitimate holy man when you see one if you don't even know a cup of concentrated chicken soup when it's right in front of your nose?

I do like him. I'm sick of just liking people. I wish to God I could meet somebody I could respect........ Listen, don't hate me because I can't remember some person immediately. Especially when they...

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.

The room was not impressively large, even by Manhattan apartment-house standards, but its accumulated furnishings might have lent a snug appearance to a banquet hall in Valhalla.

Look at 'em,' he said. 'Goddam fools.' 'Who?' said Ginnie. 'I don't know. Anybody.

Oh, this happiness is strong stuff. It's marvelously liberating.

I'm the one flunking out of this goddam place, and you're asking me to write you a goddam composition.

When you're not looking, somebody'll sneak up and write Fuck you right under your nose.

It's not too bad when the sun's out, but the sun only comes out when it feels like coming out.

Then I’d throw my automatic down the elevator shaft-after I’d wiped off all the fingerprints and all. Then I’d crawl back up to my room and call up Jane and have her come over and bandage up my guts....

But while I was sitting down, I saw something that drove me crazy. Somebody'd written 'fuck you' on the wall. It drove me damn near crazy. I thought how Phoebe and all the other little kids would see...

If you want to know the truth, I don't know what I think about it. I'm sorry I told so many people about it. About all I know is, I sort of miss everybody I told about.[...] It's funny. Don't ever tel...