Books

First Edition, First Printing with the words "Published 1958 by the Viking Press" printed on the copyright page with NO indication of later printings. A wonderful copy. This First Issue dustjacket is rich in color and has the publisher's printed price of $3.95 present on the front flap. This ORIGINAL dustjacket has light wear to the edges. The book is bound in the publisher's black cloth. The binding is tight with NO cocking or leaning and the boards are crisp with minor wear. The pages are clean with NO writing, marks or bookplates in the book. A lovely copy in collector's condition.

The Dharma Bums is a 1958 novel by Beat Generation author Jack Kerouac. The semi-autobiographical story is based on the author's experiences during the mid-1950s while living in California, after he'd become interested in Buddhism's spiritual mode of understanding. One of the main characters, Japhy Ryder, is based on the real poet Gary Snyder, who was a close friend and whose interest in Buddhism influenced Kerouac.