– 58 – N e w A c q u i s i t i o n s “The First Flight Of A Fine Writing Talent”: Exceedingly Scarce First Edition Of Steinbeck’s Second Book, The Pastures Of Heaven, One Of Only 650 Copies Sold 68. STEINBECK, John. The Pastures of Heaven. New York, 1932. Octavo, original gilt-stamped green cloth, dust jacket. $18,000. First edition, first issue, one of a scant 650 copies sold, of Steinbeck’s lyrical and incisive portrait of the verdant heart of California and its people—“points the way to most of his subsequent writing”—in scarce original dust jacket. The Pastures of Heaven, Steinbeck’s second-published book, “began as an idea for a volume of interconnected short stories… The setting was also prepared for the writing of Pastures by Steinbeck’s interest in family history, continuity and inheritance, particularly in father-son relationships.” Shortly after submitting the completed manuscript, Steinbeck wrote, “‘If the reader will take them for what they are, and will not be governed by what a short story should be (for they are not short stories at all, but tiny novels) then they should be charming… There is no grand writing nor any grand theme, but I love the stories very much” (Benson, 209, 219). Critics praised The Pastures of Heaven on publication as “the first flight of a fine writing talent” (Nation), especially “noteworthy for its originality of phrase and image and a strongly poetic feeling” (New York Times Book Review). Among other achievements, it “represents Steinbeck’s first effective use of local color and legend” (Salinas Public Library, 19). First issue, with original publisher’s imprint at spine foot. First-issue dust jacket (height: 195 mm), front flap with portrait of Steinbeck. First few leaves professionally cleaned, front inner hinge reinforced, cloth clean, near-fine. Expert restoration to scarce original dust jacket. An excellent copy. “It's almost impossible to read a fine thing without wanting to do a fine thing.”
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