First Edition, First Issue Dust Jacket]

[Steinbeck, John] (1902–1968)

The Wayward Bus [1947 First Edition, First Printing] [First Issue Dust Jacket]

New York: Viking Press, 1947. First Edition, First Printing.
A Mid-Century Study in Human Desperation. John Steinbeck’s 1947 novel explores the internal lives of a group of travelers stranded on a backroad bus in post-war California. 

While critics at the time were divided, the public embraced it, making it one of Steinbeck's most immediate financial successes. This copy features the First Issue dust jacket and represents a key moment in Steinbeck's transition into the late 1940s. It was later adapted into the 1957 film starring Jayne Mansfield and Joan Collins.

KEY FEATURES
+++ Bibliographic Point: First Edition, First Printing (Viking Press, 1947).
+++ The Jacket: First Issue dust jacket with the book title correctly positioned at the top of the front flap.
+++ Hollywood Connection: The basis for the 1957 film; a high-water mark for mid-century melodrama staring Jayne Mansfield / Joan Collins/Dan Dailey and Rick Jason.
+++ Reference: Cited in Zempel (218) and Allen (624); Hayashi: 4; Railsback: 419; Firsts:17:1

CONDITION: Good+ / Good  
+++ The Book: Bindings are tight and square. The text is clean with light, even age-toning throughout. Minimal handling wear with minor rubbing to the bottom edges.
+++ The Jacket: First issue state ($2.75 price intact). Housed in a new clear protective Mylar sleeve. The jacket shows age-toning and significant loss at the spine tips and top corners. Despite the losses, the front panel remains vibrant and the critical first-issue flap points are clearly legible.

The novel is about a group of people on a bus traveling California’s back road, it is unclear whether the characters are traveling toward a hopeful destination or merely fleeing something. Although considered one of Steinbeck's weaker novels at the time of its original publication, The Wayward Bus was financially more successful than any of his previous works.

A black-and-white film version of The Wayward Bus was released in 1957, with a cast including Jayne Mansfield, Joan Collins, Dan Dailey and Rick Jason. Much of the dramatic action in Steinbeck's novel consists of internal monologues, which the film version does not render. The movie was released in May 1957 at the height of Mansfield's popularity and enjoyed some box office success despite middling reviews. [wiki]

Item #21711

Price: $75.00