&#62; I'm sad he's gone, 9 stories upset me in ways few books ever have.<p>That's the most concise and accurate description of his writing I've seen. His works are... unsettling, and the value of reading them comes from figuring out why, which can sometimes be very difficult. I've read very few authors that can force introspection the way JD Salinger could. This is also why it's (rightly!) considered dangerous to read.