The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck 1939 - The Viking Press, New York - First Edition ‘They're a-workin' away at our spirits. They're a tryin' to make us cringe an' crawl like a whipped bitch. They tryin' to break us. Why, Jesus Christ, Ma, they comes a time when the on'y way a fella can keep his decency is by takin' a sock at a cop. They're workin' on our decency.’

A sharp bright and unrestored first edition of Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the Great Depression.

‘You got to have patience. Why, Tom, us people will go on livin' when all them people is gone. Why, Tom, we're the people that live. They ain't gonna wipe us out. Why, we're the people, we go on.
  ‘Steinbeck's classic novel. In 1939, America, still recovering from the Great Depression, came face to face with itself in a startling, lyrical way. Steinbeck gathered the country's recent shames and devastations - the Hoovervilles, the desperate, dirty children, the dissolution of kin, the oppressive labour conditions - in the Joad family. Then he set them down on a westward-running road, local dialect and all, for the world to acknowledge. For this he won the Pulitzer in 1950.’ [Melanie Rehak].

With the dust jacket artwork by Elmer Hader.

First edition dust jacket: The jacket flap corners with the publisher’s decorative clip (as issued) with the front flap showing original printed price of $2.75 at top, and ‘First Edition’ tab on lower corner.

Reference: Goldstone & Payne,
Catalogue of the Adrian H. Goldstone Collection, A12a.

Thick octavo (book size 14.5x21cm), pp. [6] 619 [1]. In publisher's beige cloth with illustration and lettering stamped brown, all edges trimmed, pale mustard yellow stain to top edge. "Battle Hymn of the Republic" endpapers.
  Condition: Near fine, toning to endpapers, light mark to top edge, very faint foxing to half title, in near fine dust jacket, light wear to spine ends, short closed tear to upper edge of rear panel, little spots of rubbing to spine.   Ref: 111424   Price: HK$ 85,000