Books

First edition, first printing, of the author's masterpiece, one of the greatest American novels of the century, widely regarded as the supreme literary achievement of the Depression era. The film adaptation by Darryl F. Zanuck, produced the following year, is likewise readily ranked as among the greatest 20th-century American films. The jacket design is by the children's writer and illustrator Elmer Hader (1889-1973), the joint recipient, alongside his wife Berta, of the 1948 Caldecott medal. Steinbeck was so taken with the illustrations in their book Billy Butter (1936) that he specially requested Elmer design the jacket for The Grapes of Wrath. Elmer later designed the jackets of East of Eden (1952) and The Winter of Our Discontent (1961). Octavo. Original buff cloth, spine lettered in brown, pictorial design in brown wrapped around spine and covers, endpapers printed with sheet music for "Battle Hymn of the Republic". With dust jacket. Housed in a custom morocco-backed blue box by the Chelsea Bindery. Typescript label loosely inserted. Faint marks at joints and head of rear cover, very fresh; spine panel lightly toned, edges a touch rubbed, nick at head of front flap fold, bright and unclipped: a near-fine copy in like jacket. Goldstone & Payne A12a.

The Grapes of Wrath, written by John Steinbeck, is a powerful novel depicting the struggles of the Joad family during the Great Depression as they journey from Oklahoma to California in search of a better life.