291 of 379 lots
291
WEST, Nathanael. The Day of the Locust. FIRST EDITION, FIRST PRINTING.
Estimate: $800-$1,200
Sold
$1,100
Live Auction
Fine Books and Manuscripts, including Worlds of Tomorrow, and Americana
Description

WEST, Nathanael (1903-1940). The Day of the Locust. New York: Random House, [1939].


8vo. Original red cloth, printed orange spine label, top stained black (some staining, spine slanted, a touch of wear to extremities); dust jacket (some soiling with spine panel darkened, some chipping with short tears and a few minor losses, especially to spine ends not affecting text).

FIRST EDITION, FIRST PRINTING (stated), with "thought" instead of "though" on p.115. West's classic novel revolves around "Hollywood’s lunatic fringe: the beauty-contest winners from county fairs; the broken-down vaudeville actors and emasculated cowboys... Above all, it is the story of the great mass of bored Middle-Westerners who come to California to die in the sun and find it a long, extremely dull process which they can only alleviate by outbreaks of violence” (front flap). White 5.

Property from the Estate of David Green Jr.