Which publisher first released The Catcher in the Rye as a novel?

Little, Brown and Company first released The Catcher in the Rye as a novel.

The American publisher issued Salinger's book on July 16, 1951. The first edition was a 234-page hardcover, and its publication established Holden Caulfield as one of modern American fiction's most recognizable narrators.

The novel did not appear from nowhere. Salinger had previously written stories featuring versions of Holden, including “I'm Crazy” and “Slight Rebellion off Madison.” Some of that earlier material was later developed into the full-length novel. The book was initially marketed for adults, although it soon became especially influential among teenage readers.

A frequent mistake is choosing Viking Press, Random House, or Harper & Brothers because those companies published other important American books or later editions. Little, Brown is the answer for the original American novel publication, not necessarily every later edition or foreign translation.