Nine Stories by Salinger, J. D - 1953

Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1953 First edition, first printing. Publisher's black cloth, lettered in gilt to spine; in the original blue and red dust jacket lettered in white and black. Near fine or better without the usual loss to the spine gilt, light soiling to pastedowns; in an unclipped jacket with some fading to the spine, some wear and creases to the edges, and a few small tears. Overall, a very good copy. Nine Stories is a collection of short fiction that includes "A Perfect Day for Bananafish," "Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut," "Just Before the War with the Eskimos," "The Laughing Man," "Down the Dinghy," "For Esmé - with Love and Squalor," "Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes," "De Daumier-Smith's Blue Period," and "Teddy." Although many of the stories feature the various members of Salinger's fictional Glass family, Nine Stories is perhaps best-known for "For Esmé," a story set during and in the immediate aftermath of World War II. In contrast to the United States' increasing romantic memory of WWII, Salinger the negative affects war has on civilian life even after armistice with this story of withdrawn, orphaned children and a soldier suffering with disillusionment and post-traumatic stress disorder. . First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/Dust Jacket Included.