SWEET THURSDAY by Steinbeck, John - 1954

New York: The Viking Press, 1954. First printing. Near fine in very good plus dust jacket.. First edition of Steinbeck's return to CANNERY ROW, following up on the stories of the motley inhabitants of the California community. Known for his heart-wrenching storytelling, John Steinbeck aims for a much lower-stakes narrative in his pair of books about Cannery Row. In SWEET THURSDAY, the shenanigans of the well-meaning residents of the down-and-out neighborhood pick up after World War II, as Doc (based on Steinbeck's friend and mentor Ed Ricketts) struggles to hit it off with Suzy, former prostitute and current diner waitress who lives in an abandoned boiler. Her residence lends its name to PIPE DREAM, the 1955 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical based on the book. 8'' x 5.25''. Original light yellow cloth binding with lettering and designs in red and blue. Original unclipped ($3.50) color pictorial dust jacket designed by Paul Galdone. Red topstain. Title page printed in red and black. 274 pages. Jacket with some edgewear, a couple of small, shallow creases; two tiny spots of soil. Binding spine ends lightly bumped. A sharp copy.