Jones, James

Some Came Running

London, England: Collins, 1959. First British Edition. Hardcover. "The great success of his first book From Here to Eternity established James Jones's reputation as a major novelist and an unrivaled interpreter of the American soldier. For his new novel, massive in scale and closely observed in its detail, the small town of Parkman, Illinois, provides a civilian setting. The theme of Some Came Running is the sad gap between capability and achievement. Returning to Parkman in early middle age and after an absence of 19 years, Dave Hirsh finds himself a misfit, an embarrassment to his brother who is climbing his way to wealth and position in the town. Dave is a writer whose creative power slowly disintegrates in the folly and instability of his emotional life...bewildered and unsure of himself, Dave finds his friends among the gamblers and colourful characters of Parkman's lower world, but their rough honesty is unable to prevent the final disaster." (from front flap) The second novel by James Jones (1921-1977), the popular, award-winning American novelist. First published in the USA during 1957, this is the first UK edition published in 1959. Hardcover in unclipped dust jacket. Jones' first novel, From Here to Eternity, was a bestseller & the basis of the blockbuster 1953 film version starring Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Burt Lancaster, Donna Reed & Frank Sinatra, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture & Best Supporting Actor awards for Reed & Sinatra. This novel was also made into a film at the time this edition was published, starring Sinatra as Hirsh along with some of his "Rat Pack" friends including Dean Martin & Shirley MacLaine. While the film was not an iconic classic as with From Here to Eternity, MacLaine did win the Best Actress award as the tragic character Ginny Moorehead. This edition promoted the film version, & there is a still image of Sinatra & MacLaine in one of its scenes on back cover of the jacket. Interestingly, it is noted that this edition is "Abridged from the American edition" on copyright page- clocking in at 926 pages, how much could the British editors have omitted? A canonical collectible in the James Jones oeuvre, in a very rare & unusual version. Book in near-fine condition with mild rubbing & some tiny non-penetrating dimples, very small spot-stains to front, back covers & spine; light wear at edges & corners of same; mild dulling & slight loss of gilt letters & graphics on spine; mild rubbing, browning, spotting & small spot-staining to edges of text block esp. upper edge. Interior fine with moderate-to-medium browning & spotting to blank paste-downs & esp. endpapers; tiny bumps & small, faint creases to mostly upper corners of some page leaves. Unrestored dust jacket relatively fair-to-good with mild rubbing, browning & spotting to front, esp. back covers, spine & flaps; mild-to-significant wear at edges & corners of same incl. bumps, creases & mostly closed tears with slight loss of paper esp. at upper spine-edges & corners, front cover edge; small tape repairs at blank inside jacket mostly at lower spine-cover hinge edges, not visible on outer surface; browning & spotting at same which has very slightly penetrated to outer surface & even as a faint band on back cover. Near Fine / Fair- Good. [Item #4523]

Price: $60.00