The Story & Significance
Published in 1945, John Steinbeck's Cannery Row is one of the most warmly regarded works in the American literary canon. Set among the sardine canneries and tide pools of Monterey, California, the novel follows Doc — a marine biologist and moral center of the community — and the ragtag ensemble of misfits who orbit his world. More elegy than plot, Cannery Row captures a vanishing way of life with Steinbeck's characteristic precision and compassion. For the Steinbeck collector, it represents the author at his most humane — a counterpoint to the epic social drama of The Grapes of Wrath and a book that rewards every rereading.
Physical Description & Provenance
Edition: First Edition, Second Issue (1945).
Publisher: Viking Press, New York.
Binding: Original canary yellow cloth boards — the diagnostic identifier for the second issue. The first issue is distinguished by buff-colored boards. The binding is tight and square.
Dust Jacket: Original jacket, price-clipped. The jacket shows shelf wear with small bumps and tears to the upper and lower extremities, consistent with age and handling.
Condition: The volume is in Very Good condition. Internal pages are crisp, clean, and free of markings.
Collector's Note
The canary yellow boards make this copy immediately identifiable as the second issue — a distinction that matters to the serious Steinbeck bibliophile. While the first issue buff boards command a premium, the second issue remains a true first edition and a legitimate entry point into Steinbeck's primary bibliography. The tight binding and clean text block make this a solid, display-worthy copy of one of the 20th century's most enduring American novels.
The Story & Significance
Published in 1945, John Steinbeck's Cannery Row is one of the most warmly regarded works in the American literary canon. Set among the sardine canneries and tide pools of Monterey, California, the novel follows Doc — a marine biologist and moral center of the community — and the ragtag ensemble of misfits who orbit his world. More elegy than plot, Cannery Row captures a vanishing way of life with Steinbeck's characteristic precision and compassion. For the Steinbeck collector, it represents the author at his most humane — a counterpoint to the epic social drama of The Grapes of Wrath and a book that rewards every rereading.
Physical Description & Provenance
Edition: First Edition, Second Issue (1945).
Publisher: Viking Press, New York.
Binding: Original canary yellow cloth boards — the diagnostic identifier for the second issue. The first issue is distinguished by buff-colored boards. The binding is tight and square.
Dust Jacket: Original jacket, price-clipped. The jacket shows shelf wear with small bumps and tears to the upper and lower extremities, consistent with age and handling.
Condition: The volume is in Very Good condition. Internal pages are crisp, clean, and free of markings.
Collector's Note
The canary yellow boards make this copy immediately identifiable as the second issue — a distinction that matters to the serious Steinbeck bibliophile. While the first issue buff boards command a premium, the second issue remains a true first edition and a legitimate entry point into Steinbeck's primary bibliography. The tight binding and clean text block make this a solid, display-worthy copy of one of the 20th century's most enduring American novels.
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