first edition
1954 · London
by Golding, William
London: Faber and Faber Ltd, 1954. First printing. Very good plus in very good jacket.. True first edition of this classic novel of the devolution of posh English boys into lawless hooligans after being stranded on an island with no adults. Frequently challenged for its portrayals of violence and grim assessment of human nature, LORD OF THE FLIES remains a classic - if psychologically dark - young adult novel. It is also a reflection of the post-World War II white British mindset, as the boys use racial slurs and stereotypes as comparisons for their increasingly unruly behavior; these ideas are made explicit as their rescuer remarks, "I should have thought that a pack of British boys would have been able to put up a better show than that." 8'' x 5.25''. Original red cloth. In original unclipped (12s 6d, with summary on front flap) first issue color pictorial jacket. 248 pages. Jacket moderately toned with rubbing to folds, mild edgewear. A couple of small unobtrusive stains to verso. Slight lean. Bookseller ticket to front pastedown, contemporary (June 1955) penned ownership inscription to front free endpaper. Overall, clean and sound.
(Inventory #: 52675)