The Pastures of Heaven by Steinbeck, John

NY, Brewer, Warren & Putnam, 1932, first edition, dust jacket. Hardcover.

With a first issue dust jacket, his second book, Goldstone & Payne A2a, Morrow 14, this first edition is one of only 1,650 copies actually bound (from a print-run of 2,500 sets of sheets), only a paltry 650 copies were actually sold, this was his first book with what could be called the Steinbeck "sound," the book is comprised of inter-related stories set in a valley that came to represent Steinbeck Country, in these stories something is not quite right with the inhabitants of this otherwise peaceful valley, according to Harry Thornton Moore in his first critical study of Steinbeck's works, The Pastures of Heaven "is the most popular of Steinbeck's three early books. It points the way to most of his subsequent writing". Top and bottom of spine with slight fade/discoloration where light could peek over the jacket, else a lovely copy in a jacket with minute wear at the tips, this is easily the best first issue jacket I have seen.