The Subterraneans
$1,250 · Offered by Biblio
First edition
New York: Grove Press, 1958. First edition, second printing. Hardcover. vg- to near fine. Octavo. 111pp. Illustrated black and grey dust jacket with white lettering on the front cover and spine, as issued. Off-white cloth boards, with brown lettering on the front cover and spine. A first edition, second printing of Kerouac's third published novel (novella). The story was inspired by the author's passionate but brief romance Alene Lee (1931-1991), an African-American woman, in Greenwich Village, New York. Following the breakout success of Keroauc's On the Road, this work cemented the author as one of the primary figures of the Beat Generation. Jacket design by Roy Kuhlman. Jacket appears very nice from the exterior, but has some small closed tears, creases and rubbing to extremities, that are more apparent when looking on the backside. Some repairs made with tape on the verso of the jacket, and some rubbing to edges filled in with black marker. There is a small hole to the front cover. Binding with minor sunning to the spine and minor smudges on the back cover. Interior clean throughout. Book block tight. Jacket in very good-, binding in very good+, interior in near fine condition overall. A very nice copy, in the very scarce jacket.
- Publisher: Grove Press
- Year: 1958
- Edition: First Edition
- Printing: later
- Binding: hardcover
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