Books

New York: Viking Press, 1952. First edition, first printing. Published by the Viking Press in New York, 1952. This is a near fine copy. The dust wrapper, with the author's portrait to the rear and no photo credit, has some mild chipping to the top edge and some rubbing at the hinge. There is a mild tear to the tail of the spine which could be seamlessly repaired. The dust wrapper is unrestored. In this instance, it has not been price clipped and shows the original $4.50 net price. There is slight spotting and handling marks. This aside, the wrapper is bright and highly presentable. The boards are free from notable chips and marks, with typical light bumping to the spine tips. This copy is free from previous owner's ink and correctly shows the word "bite" present on page 281, line 38. The text blocks are mostly immaculate, but with a small darkened area to the bottom right-hand corner. Overall, this is a near fine copy of a fine and increasingly scarce title. The work is…

East of Eden is a novel by American author John Steinbeck. Published in September 1952, it is a saga telling the story of two families—the Trasks and the Hamiltons—with a particular focus on the life of Adam Trask, his twin sons Caleb and Aron, and their complex relationship with each other and their father. The novel explores themes of depravity, beneficence, love, and redemption, and it vividly captures the rural Salinas Valley in California at the turn of the 20th century. Steinbeck considered 'East of Eden' to be his magnum opus.