East of Eden

East of Eden by John Steinbeck.

New York: The Viking Press, [1952]. First edition of Steinbeck's magnum opus, newly and uniquely rebound in emerald-green goatskin leather in a custom-made, open-spine clamshell case. A truly special book.

First trade edition, first state: 1952. 110,000 copies were published in September 1952 at $4.50. Page 281, line 38 "bite" for "bight", as only contained in the true first state (Goldstone and Payne, A32, p.74).

Steinbeck regarded 'East of Eden' as his greatest novel and noted, "it has everything in it I have been able to learn about my craft or profession in all these years".

UNIQUE, BESPOKE FINE BINDING OF STEINBECK'S MAGNUM OPUS

The book has been sumptuously bound using the finest mill boards with five raised bands in full green goatskin leather, reminding one of Steinbeck's bountiful (Salinas) "valley of the world" where the flanking mountain ranges rise steeply up open grass. New, handmade marbled endpapers, silk cane head and tail bands, as well as a silk marker ribbon have been added. Single, blind lines have been embossed to the spine; head and tail, plus either side of the raised bands.

The book has been stripped back to its original sections and resewn by hand using the finest linen thread. The original endpapers have been soaked off the boards and incorporated inside the new binding. The book edges have been very lightly sanded to clean marks and settled dust, but continue to maintain character and patina.

Gold title and year of publishing have been added to the spine. Alluding to East of Eden's allegorical treatment of the Cain-Abel narrative and the freedom to overcome evil through free will, a gold block design is centred on the front board, depicting the cunning serpent slithering down the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

A unique, open-spine clamshell slipcase has been created to house the book. This is made from grey board and covered in green Colorado cloth and lined with green Colorplan paper.

All in all, a fantastic opportunity to acquire a beautiful and truly unique first edition of Steinbeck's magnum opus, carefully rebound by the wonderfully talented and experienced bookbinder Paul Berry of The Abbey Bookbindery in Hampshire, England; a bindery steeped in the finest tradition of English craft bookbinding.

ACCOMPANIED BY A FINE VINTAGE AUTHOR SIGNATURE

The book is accompanied by a fine vintage blue ink signature (´John Steinbeck´) to the centre of an oblong 12mo white card that is loosely inserted into the book. With a red stamped date of October 1961 to the verso. This signature was purchased in September 2024 from highly-reputable and European leading autograph and manuscript specialists International Autograph Auctions Europe, and is accompanied by a receipt and the relevant online catalogue entry. Signed by John Steinbeck.

Condition

Text block in very good condition, with lightest offsetting to endpapers, as pictured, the odd thumbmark or small foxing spot throughout and only one or two small, shallow creases to one or two page extremities. A clean, uninscribed example; Freshly rebound in full, emerald-green leather, and contained in a new, fine, open-spine clamshell case that allows the book's spine to be fully exposed on the shelf, while at the same time opening sideways, in order to protect the leather binding from excessive rubbing.