NEW YORK, USA - Reclusive author J.D. Salinger won a legal victory on Wednesday when a Manhattan judge suspended the publication of a novel by a Swedish author based on his character Holden Caulfield.

Manhattan district court judge Deborah Batts "granted a preliminary injunction" against a supposed sequel to "The Catcher in the Rye," a source familiar with the case told AFP.

Under the pseudonym J.D. California, Swede Fredrik Colting wrote an intended follow up to Salinger's classic story of teenage angst, with protagonist Caulfield at 76 years old.

The decision blocks the publication of Colting's novel in the United States the source said.

"(It) is an indefinite restraint until final decision on the merits, or reversal on appeal, or settlement of the action."