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Of Mice and Men: A Play in Three Acts by John Steinbeck, First Edition

Offered by: The Great Republic

Description
Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men: A Play in Three Acts. New York: Convici Friede, Publishers, 1937. First edition. Octavo. Original publisher’s beige cloth boards, with black and brown titles to front and spine, red embossed ornamentation.Original blue, beige, and white unclipped dust jacket.

This is the first edition of the play version of John Steinbeck’s landmark work, Of Mice and Men: A Play in Three Acts. It was published in New York by Covici Friede Publishers, in 1937. The book is presented in its original beige cloth binding with black and brown titles, in original unclipped blue, beige, and white dust jacket.

Of Mice and Men tells the tale of two migrant farm workers in the Salinas Valley, during the Great Depression. Steinbeck based the novella on his own experiences as a teenager working alongside migrant farm workers in the 1910s. Published in the same year as the 1937 novella, the Of Mice and Men play was adapted for the stage by Steinbeck himself. The play made its Broadway debut on November 23, 1937, under the director George S. Kaufman. It ran at the Music Box Theatre ran for 207 performances, all while the novella was still at the top of the bestseller list.

This was Steinbeck's first foray in writing plays. Director George Kaufman advised Steinbeck on the stage adaptation, urging him to “preserve the marvelous tenderness of the book,” but also to add “a little more humor” to “heighten the subsequent tragedy by comparison” (Steinbeck and Wallsten). Lon Chaney, Jr., the originator of the role of Lennie in the initial play production, would go on to reprise his role in the 1939 film. The play was very successful; it won Steinbeck the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for best play of the 1937-38 season.

CONDITION:

Octavo. Original beige cloth binding with black and brown titles to front and spine and red embossed ornamentation. In the original blue, beige, and white dust jacket. Dust jacket very good condition, with only light creases and surface wear to corners. Clean pages throughout, only occasional light spotting. 172pp. Presented with a a new archival slipcase.

Book Dimensions: 7 7/8" H x 5 1/4" W x 1" D.

Slipcase Dimensions: 8 1/4" H x 5 7/8" W x 1 3/8" D.

Accompanied by our company's letter of authenticity.

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Message from Seller:

Established in 2010, The Great Republic specializes in one-of-a-kind collectibles that honor American history, with a special focus on the rare and unique. Our collection is complete with rarities that are sure to wow, such as first edition books, antique hand-sewn flags from the Civil War, vintage travel posters, and original signatures from American presidents, such as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, just to name a few. P: 719.471.6157 E: headquarters@great-republic.com