The Day of the Locust

First Edition, First Printing of West’s final novel, named one of the 100 best novels of the century by the Modern Library. Original cloth red cloth slightly faded along the edges, and more so along the spine. Dust jacket is the Book of the Month Club in fine condition, (itself quite rare, especially in this condition); almost identical to the original almost all of which are found in very poor condition. Price and leading edge of the original dust jacket pasted to board. Book contents near fine, with tight binding and no cocking or other markings other than minor spotting on a few pages in the middle. Overall, a wonderful copy of this enduring classic.

Nathanael West began working as a screenwriter in the early 1930s, using his experiences to compose what many consider the definitive Hollywood novel. In it, the main character Tod Hackett “weaves his way along the seamy underside of Hollywood, among the confused, resentful people who have followed their dreams… The Day of the Locust remains the best of the hundreds of Hollywood novels written… F. Scott Fitzgerald, who was himself working on The Last Tycoon, said that novel had ‘scenes of extraordinary power” (ANB). Dorothy Parker called it “brilliant, savage and arresting.” “An unusual and highly original talent, West was one of the first and best American writers of black comedy… Miss Lonelyhearts and The Day of the Locust are his most compelling and effective works” (Benet’s Reader’s Encyclopedia, 1056-7). West died in a car crash in 1940 (the year after publication) at the age of 37 and never lived to see the novel’s critical acclaim.