RAINTREE COUNTY [Hardcover] Lockridge, Ross Jr.

Description

1948 printing. Hardcover has significant wear, discoloration, scuffs and marks throughout. No dust jacket. Spine has tears on the top and bottom and heavy wear. Binding is slightly loose. Pages are clean and largely unmarked aside from some small marks on some pages. Readable copy.

This well-worn copy of “Raintree County” by Ross Lockridge Jr. is a true literary relic from the post-WWII era. Published in 1948, this ambitious and sweeping novel captured the American experience through the lens of a single family in the early 20th century. Lauded for its rich characterization and poetic prose, it was an instant critical success, earning Lockridge comparisons to literary giants like Thomas Wolfe and James Joyce.

Tragically, Lockridge took his own life just one month after the book’s publication, leaving this magnum opus as his sole completed work. This particular copy bears the scars of time, with a battered exterior that speaks to its enduring relevance and the countless hands it has passed through over the decades. Despite its tattered state, the novel’s pages remain largely pristine, a testament to the power of Lockridge’s storytelling to captivate readers through generations of wear and tear.

For collectors, this vintage edition offers a tangible connection to a pivotal moment in American literature, when an unknown author’s singular vision reshaped the boundaries of the novel form. Its flaws and imperfections only add to its allure, inviting readers to trace the journey of this cultural artifact and ponder the human stories woven into its well-thumbed pages.