A new documentary and a book on J D Salinger claims that famously reclusive author left instructions to publish at least five more works, including a story-filled manual of the Vedanta religious philosophy.
Salinger, who died in 2010 at the age of 91, was deeply involved with that part of Indian philosophy.
The author, who struggled with unwanted attention following the success of 'The Catcher in the Rye', did not publish much except for the famous novel, some novellas and stories. 'Hapworth 16, 1924' was his last work to be published on June 19, 1964 in The New Yorker.
Set to release next week, the hotly anticipated book and the documentary, both titled "Salinger" include detailed assertions that the author instructed his estate to publish at least five additional books in a sequence that he intended to begin as early as 2015, reported the New York Times.
The new books and stories were largely written before Salinger assigned his output to a trust in 2008, and would greatly expand the Salinger legacy.
One collection, to be called 'The Family Glass' would add five new stories to an assembly of previously published stories about the fictional Glass family, which figured in Salinger's 'Franny and Zooey" and elsewhere.
Another would include a retooled version of a publicly known but unpublished tale 'The Last and Best of the Peter Pans' which is to be collected with new stories and existing work including 'Catcher in the Rye'.
The new works are said to include material about the Vedanta religious philosophy, a novel set during World War II and based on his first marriage to a German woman and a novella on his own war experiences, the newspaper said.
It is for the first time that such a detailed claim has been made about the fact that Salinger left posthumous publishing plans though it is known that he continued to write without publishing.
The documentary is directed by Shane Salerno, a filmmaker who spent nine years researching and filming the movie that is set for release by the Weinstein Company on September 6.
The companion book, co-written by David Shields, is to be published by Simon & Schuster on September 3.
