Signet Classics, February 1964. Paper Back . Good. Good Softcover. Moderate shelfwear to covers, including creasing. Spine has rubbing with tearing on end. Textblock lightly soiled. Some pages have a bent corner. Inside covers and pages yellowed. Pages clean and tight in binding. Pictures available upon request. A locally owned, independent book shop since 1984.

Synopsis

Like the tentacles of an octopus, the tracks of the railroad reached out across California, as if to grasp everything of value in the state Based on an actual, bloody dispute between wheat farmers and the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1880, The Octopus is a stunning novel of the waning days of the frontier West. To the tough-minded and self-reliant farmers, the monopolistic, land-grabbing railroad represented everything they despised: consolidation, organization, conformity. But Norris idealizes no one in this epic depiction of the volatile situation, for the farmers themselves ruthlessly exploited the land, and in their hunger for larger holdings they resorted to the same tactics used by the railroad: subversion, coercion and outright violence. In his introduction, Kevin Starr discusses Norris's debt to Zola for the novel's extraordinary sweep, scale and abundance of characters and details.

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Details

Bookseller: Jane Addams Book Shop (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #: 286265
Title: The Octopus: A Story of California
Author: Frank Norris
Format/Binding: Paper Back
Book Condition: Used - Good
Quantity Available: 1
Binding: Paperback
ISBN 10: 0451510372
ISBN 13: 9780451510372
Publisher: Signet Classics
Date Published: February 1964
Pages: 472

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Jane Addams Book Shop

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Champaign, Illinois

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About Jane Addams Book Shop

We are a locally owned, independent bookstore that has been in business for more than twenty-five years. With more than 70,000 titles in our shop we have a number of very well-stocked sections that span fifteen separate rooms on three floors.

Glossary

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

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.
Tight: Used to mean that the binding of a book has not been overly loosened by frequent use.
Soiled: Generally refers to minor discoloration or staining.
Shelfwear: Minor wear resulting from a book being place on, and taken from a bookshelf, especially along the bottom edge.