The Grapes of Wrath — Steinbeck, Modern Library 148

📖 The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1939, Modern Library No. 148) — the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the Joad family’s Dust Bowl migration from Oklahoma to California. This 1956 Modern Library printing features Thomas Hart Benton’s iconic jacket illustration “Departure of the Joads” and Rockwell Kent endpapers.

QUICK FACTS

• Author: John Steinbeck (1902–1968)
• Publisher: Modern Library / Random House, New York
• Year: 1956 (Toledano 148.3, binding style 8i)
• Format: Hardcover in unclipped dust jacket ($1.65)
• Pages: 619 | ISBN: None (pre-ISBN era)
• Condition: Book: Very Good / Jacket: Very Good- — full report below

THE STORY

The Grapes of Wrath follows Tom Joad and his family as they leave the dust-choked farmlands of Oklahoma for the promised abundance of California. What begins as a journey of hope becomes a confrontation with exploitation, poverty, and the resilience of the human spirit. Steinbeck drew on firsthand reporting of migrant camps and strike actions to create what remains the definitive American novel of the Depression era.

THIS EDITION

Modern Library No. 148, first issued in 1941 as the first inexpensive hardcover reprint. This 1956 printing (Toledano binding style 8i) features grey Rockwell Kent endpapers with his signature running figure motif. The dust jacket presents Benton’s “Departure of the Joads” illustration — a black-and-white scene of the Joad family departing their Oklahoma homestead. The jacket flap lists the original $1.65 price and cross-references other Steinbeck titles in the Modern Library catalog: Tortilla Flat (No. 216), Of Mice and Men (No. 29), and In Dubious Battle (No. 115). Printed by H. Wolff, manufactured in the United States of America. Published by Random House under the editorial direction of Bennett Cerf, Donald Klopfer, and Robert K. Haas.

COVER ART / ILLUSTRATIONS / DESIGN

The dust jacket features Thomas Hart Benton’s “Departure of the Joads” — a black-and-white illustration showing the Joad family gathered outside a dilapidated shack with a loaded truck, set against swirling clouds. The title appears in deep red serif font, with “COMPLETE AND UNABRIDGED” below. The spine shows “MODERN LIBRARY” with the number 148 at the base. Beneath the jacket, green cloth boards maintain solid color with clean gilt and black spine blocking. Rockwell Kent’s decorative endpapers feature a geometric pattern with stylized “B” shapes and his iconic running figure silhouette.

WHY IT MATTERS

• Winner of the Pulitzer Prize (1940) and National Book Award (1939); cited prominently when Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize in Literature (1962)
• Thomas Hart Benton’s illustrations for the 1940 Heritage Press and Limited Editions Club editions are among the most celebrated book illustrations in American art — the Modern Library jacket adapts Benton’s “Departure of the Joads” from that series
• Modern Library No. 148 has been in continuous print since 1941, making it one of the most widely distributed editions of this novel

FREQUENTLY ASKED

What edition is this? Modern Library No. 148, 1956 printing (Toledano 148.3, binding style 8i with 377 titles listed on jacket verso). The Modern Library first issued this title in 1941.

What condition is it in? Book: Very Good. Jacket: Very Good- (unclipped, $1.65 price intact). Full condition report below.

Is the dust jacket original? Yes. This is the original dust jacket with Benton’s cover illustration, unclipped with the $1.65 price intact. Minor tanning along upper edge and spine ends.

FOR COLLECTORS

The Modern Library 148 sits in an interesting position in Steinbeck collecting. While the Heritage Press and Limited Editions Club editions (both 1940) featured Benton’s full suite of 67 two-color lithographs, the Modern Library edition offered the same novel at a fraction of the cost with Benton’s jacket art adapted from those original illustrations. This 1956 printing with Rockwell Kent endpapers represents the mid-century sweet spot — affordable enough to read, distinctive enough to collect. The green cloth binding with gilt spine lettering is characteristic of the Toledano 8i binding style, and the complete, unabridged text makes it a reliable reading copy with genuine collector appeal.

CONDITION REPORT

Overall Grade: Book: Very Good (VG) / Jacket: Very Good- (VG-)

Cover & Spine: Green cloth boards maintain solid color with clean gilt and black spine blocking. Back board lower corner and spine head and tail mildly bumped with a little edge wear in places.

Dust Jacket: Original dust jacket present, unclipped ($1.65 price intact). Tanned along upper edge, spine, and inside flap edge. Chipping along the spine ends and faint edge wear.

Text Block & Pages: Text block is clean; pages are uniform off-white/cream with light wood-color age-toning to the text block edges.

Binding: Solid, a bit cocked toward bottom, hinges solid.

See accompanying images for full condition details. Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.

HFB-SEO-v1: 2026-08-05

1 in stock