The Company

(price-clipped) [a good sound copy, light dust-soiling to top edge, short vertical wrinkle in cloth at bottom of front cover, vintage bookseller's label (Barr's for Books, Lancaster, Pa.) on rear pastedown; the jacket, unfortunately, has a large piece missing from the lower right corner of the front panel (see scanned image), with additional shallow chipping at the spine ends and considerable age-toning, and is heavily worn along the rear foldover, such that the rear flap is nearly detached (but is held in place by the new mylar jacket protector)]. Novel set in "the world of the great American office, the world of boss and of clerk." It's a one-character-at-a-time portrait of a large business, "a series of brilliant characterization, by means of deft portrayer, interior monologue, witty comment, and a bantering affection that suddenly provokes our laughter and as suddenly turns our laughter to sorrow." (And what would an American novel of the period be without a dash of casual antisemitism -- e.g. Chapter X, "The Jew.") NOTE that although the book itself has the correct indicator of a Macmillan first edition -- "Set up and printed. Published March, 1930." -- the rear jacket panel contains quotes from half a dozen published reviews, which would seem to indicate that the jacket at least is a slightly later printing. (The dust jacket illustration -- indeed, perhaps the whole book itself -- suggests that King Vidor's great 1929 film THE CROWD may have been a source of inspiration.)

Product Info

Publisher: The Macmillan Company

Year: 1930

Type: Used

Binding: Hardcover

First Edition

Seller Info

ReadInk

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Country: United States