Hanley, James (1901–1985)

The Inner Journey: A Play in Three Acts

New York: Horizon Press, 1965. First Edition, First Printing. Hardcover with Dust Jacket.

PSYCHOLOGICAL DRAMA AND HUMAN STRUGGLE
James Hanley’s The Inner Journey is a three-act drama exploring the complicated emotional bond between father and son, examining themes of identity, memory, illusion, and the difficult search for personal freedom. Known primarily for his psychologically intense fiction, Hanley brings the same penetrating attention to character and human conflict to the stage. This first American edition was published by Horizon Press, an important independent literary publisher known for bringing contemporary and modern authors to American readers.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Green cloth binding with stamped gilt spine titles. Octavo, approximately 8.5 inches tall. vii, 114 pages. Printed in Great Britain at The Curwen Press, Plaistow, London. Publisher’s dust jacket priced $4.50.

CONDITION: Near Fine in Very Good Dust Jacket. Minimal shelf handling. The dust jacket, with the original price of $4.50, shows light shelf handling with minor wear consistent with age.

LITERARY SIGNIFICANCE — JAMES HANLEY AND MODERN PSYCHOLOGICAL DRAMA.
James Hanley was a respected British novelist and playwright whose work frequently explored isolation, human vulnerability, and the psychological pressures shaping individual lives. The Inner Journey reflects his continued interest in characters caught between memory, desire, and the search for meaning. The play’s focus on family relationships and emotional confinement places it within the broader tradition of twentieth-century existential and psychological drama.

Published by Horizon Press in 1965, this edition represents the American publication of a serious literary work during a period when smaller independent presses played an important role in presenting contemporary writers outside the dominant commercial publishing landscape.

SUBJECTS: James Hanley, The Inner Journey, Modern Drama, Psychological Drama, Father-Son Relationships, Human Identity, Existential Literature, British Playwrights, Horizon Press, Independent Publishing, Twentieth-Century Literature, British Literature.

Item #22285

Price: $45.00