(CNN) -- J.D. Salinger, author of "The Catcher in the Rye" and other books, has died, according to his literary agent, Phyllis Westberg.
The author died Wednesday at age 91 of natural causes at his home in New Hampshire, according to a family statement that Westberg provided Thursday.
"Despite having broken his hip in May, his health had been excellent until a rather sudden decline after the new year," the statement said. "He was not in any pain before or at the time of his death."
Salinger has long been known for his reclusiveness, and "in keeping with his life long, uncompromising desire to protect and defend his privacy there will be no service," the statement said.
"The family asks that people's respect for him, his work, and his privacy be extended to them, individually and collectively, during this time."
The author has written other novels and stories, but "The Catcher in the Rye" is considered one of the great American novels of the 20th century, a classic about a cynical and alienated young man named Holden Caulfield.
"Salinger had remarked that he was in this world but not of it. His body is gone but the family hopes that he is still with those he loves, whether they are religious or historical figures, personal friends or fictional characters," the statement said.
"He will be missed by the few he was close to every bit as much as by the readers who loved reading him."
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