The Thirties: From Notebooks and Diaries of the Period
Edmund Wilson; Edited with an Introduction by Leon Edel
📚 Genre
Non-Fiction, Memoir/Diaries, Literary Criticism, American History
🏢 Publisher
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
📅 Publication Year
1980
🔢 ISBN
0-374-27582-8
About This Book
A posthumous collection of Edmund Wilson's personal diaries and journals covering the 1930s. The book provides an intimate look at Wilson's intellectual life, his travels through Depression-era America and the Soviet Union, and his interactions with major literary figures of the time. The title page shown features the characteristic FSG three-fish logo and various library discarded stamps.
Book Details
Language
English
Pages
753
Edition
First Edition (likely)
Series
Part of Wilson's decade-by-decade journal series (including The Twenties, The Forties, etc.)
Target Audience
Adults, Scholars, Literary Historians
Collector Information
Condition
Fair to Good. The book is an ex-library copy with significant markings including 'DISCARDED' and 'CROW RIVER REGIONAL LIBRARY' stamps, as well as a red numeric ink stamp '807221'. The paper shows slight toning.
Estimated Value
$10-$20
Rarity
Common. This was a trade edition published by a major house in 1980. The presence of heavy ex-library stamps significantly reduces the collector value and commonality.
Historical Significance
Wilson was arguably the most influential American literary critic of the 20th century. These diaries serve as a primary historical source for the cultural and intellectual landscape of the Great Depression and the rise of political radicalism in the US.
Collector Notes
Ex-library copies are generally undesirable for high-end collectors. To preserve, keep in a cool dry place to prevent further page browning. Values for Wilson's journals remain stable but low unless they are pristine first printings with intact dust jackets signed by the editor or from Wilson's estate.
Similar Books
The Twenties by Edmund Wilson, Patriotic Gore by Edmund Wilson, The Crack-Up by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Part of Our Time by Murray Kempton
Notable Features
Includes an introduction by Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Leon Edel; contains many of Wilson's unfiltered observations on politics and literature.