Books

"The Dharma Bums" by Jack Kerouac1958 - First Edition, First PrintingVintage Hardcover Book with Dust Jacket8 1/4" x 5 3/4"244 PagesThe jacket is in good minus condition with some edge wear and rubbing. There is light foxing on the inside. The jacket is now protected with a removable Mylar cover. The hardcover book is in good condition free from rips, tears, stains, bends, and writing. The boards are in good to good minus condition with minimal wear. The binding is tight and square.

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.

A true first edition can be identified by the specific cover design and the absence of later edition statements or printing numbers. For 'The Dharma Bums', Viking Press first editions are typically identified by the 1958 date on the title page and dust jacket with the specific triangular mountain design.