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Wayward Bus, The
New York: The Viking Press, 1947. Item #06575
A Cross-Section of Postwar America
Steinbeck’s Roadside Microcosm in Uncommon Condition
STEINBECK, John. The Wayward Bus. New York: The Viking Press, 1947.
First edition, first issue. Octavo (7 15/16 x 5 1/4 inches; 198 x 133 mm.). [viii], [1-2], 3–312 pp.
Publisher’s original orange cloth over boards, front cover with the outline of a bus stamped in blind and lettered in gilt, spine lettered in gilt. Minor rubbing to lower edge with light creasing to spine ends. A near fine copy in an excellent dust jacket with only the slightest rubbing at extremities.
A sharp and attractive example of Steinbeck’s first novel following the enormous success of The Grapes of Wrath and Cannery Row, The Wayward Bus presents a tightly observed cross-section of American life. Set aboard a dilapidated bus traveling through rural California, the narrative brings together a disparate group of passengers - each representing different social types - whose interactions unfold with Steinbeck’s characteristic blend of psychological insight and moral inquiry.
Less overtly political than some of his earlier works, the novel instead offers a more intimate, almost theatrical study of character, often compared to a stage play in its unity of setting and time.
Goldstone & Payne A17a.
Price: $1,000.00