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The Short Reign of Pippin IV
by John Steinbeck
- Used
- very good
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- Very good/very good
- Seller
-
Pleasanton, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: Viking Press, 1957. 188 pp. Approximately 5 1/4 x 8". First Edition, first state of dust jacket. Illustrated dust jacket in very good condition with minor edge wear, some rubbing, publisher's price of $3.00 on the front flap; Strawberry cloth over boards with heraldic blind-stamping, yellow spine with red printing but discolored/darkened slightly, top stain red, pages clean and bright, in very good condition. (Goldstone & Payne A36a)� � � � Generally considered as one of Steinbeck's lesser books, this book did become popular enough to be a book-of-the-month selection. This is Steinbeck's only work of political satire and tells the story of an amateur astronomer, Pippin, who is proclaimed King of France. He spends most of his time trying to avoid any responsibilities and deal with hangers-on with inherited money. Much of the satire is clearly relatable to today's people and politics as well
Synopsis
In his only work of political satire, The Short Reign of Pippin IV , John Steinbeck turns the French Revolution upside down as amateur astronomer Pippin Héristal is drafted to rule the unruly French. Steinbeck creates around the infamous Pippin the most hilarious royal court ever: Pippin’s wife, Queen Marie, who “might have taken her place at the bar of a very good restaurant”; his uncle, a man of dubious virtue; his glamour-struck daughter and her beau, the son of the so-called “egg king” of Petaluma, California; and a motley crew of courtiers and politicians, guards and gardeners. This edition includes an introduction by Robert Morsberger and Katharine Morsberger.
Reviews
On Dec 27 2011, Okfine said:
One of the greatest novelist of our time. He really knows how to describe our tainted lives.
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Details
- Bookseller
- The Book Lair, ABAA
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- BL-002512
- Title
- The Short Reign of Pippin IV
- Author
- John Steinbeck
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Very good
- Jacket Condition
- very good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Publisher
- Viking Press
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 1957
Terms of Sale
The Book Lair, ABAA
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives mis-described or damaged.
About the Seller
The Book Lair, ABAA
Biblio member since 2015
Pleasanton, California
About The Book Lair, ABAA
The Book Lair deals in rare and/or interesting items in many fields with a focus on Miniature Books and Modern Firsts. We are especially interested in unique cookbooks, children's books, Californiana, Edward Gorey, John Steinbeck, Stephen King, and Ian Fleming/James Bond Books.
We also buy and sell ephemera, photography, manuscript material, diaries and letter archives, and business archives in any field. If it tells a strong story, we're interested.
We also buy and sell ephemera, photography, manuscript material, diaries and letter archives, and business archives in any field. If it tells a strong story, we're interested.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- First State
- used in book collecting to refer to a book from the earliest run of a first edition, generally distinguished by a change in some...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Rubbing
- Abrasion or wear to the surface. Usually used in reference to a book's boards or dust-jacket.
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