Native Son
New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1940. Reprint, issued by the Book-of-the-Month Club, with "First Edition" and "A-P" code on copyright page (see Ahearn). Octavo (21cm); second binding in gray cloth, blocked and titled in black and gilt on spine; gray topstain; dustjacket; xii,359,[1]pp. Base of spine gently nudged, else a fresh, Fine copy. In the pictorial dustjacket by Richard Floethe, with no printed price on front flap; light wear to spine ends and flap folds, with a tiny loss at heel and a small bruise along the rear joint; Very Good+.
Attractive copy of Wright's first novel, which catapulted him into national fame. "The book is a shattering portrait of Bigger Thomas, the protagonist, who is a product of racism and oppression. The novel takes its readers through treacherous corridors of violence and retribution as it reflects much of the unrest in the American racial system" (BLOCKSON 76). "Bigger, hemmed in by the restrictions of white-dominated Chicago, commits a series of crimes, finding in them the only positive self-expression of his life" (COAN, p.194). While Wright provides no apologies for his protagonist's crimes, he portrays quite succinctly the systemic inevitability behind them. A stage version of the novel, co-written with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paul Green, was written in 1941, and Wright would go on to star as Bigger in Pierre Chenal's 1951 film adaptation of the novel. A cornerstone work of 20th century African American literature. HANNA 3906; RIDEOUT, p.298.
Price: $75.00
