The Catcher in the Rye (First edition, second printing)

First edition, second printing of J.D. Salinger’s iconic American bildungsroman, first published by Little, Brown, and Company on July 16, 1951. The second printing followed in the same month. 8vo, black cloth boards decoratively stamped and lettered in gold on the spine, 277 pages. With “Published July 1951/Reprinted July 1951” noted on successive lines on the copyright page. In the second state dust jacket with all relevant points: a small space atop the photograph of Salinger’s head and the Lotte Jacobi photo credit above the author’s name on the rear flap, and the $3.00 price placed above the shoulder of the R in Catcher on the front flap. Slight lean to spine. Mild rubbing to extremities, with light fraying to spine head. Moderate bumping and chipping to dj. Spine toned, with 2” open tear to head and closed tear across tail. Dj split at joints, front flap, and partially at rear flap; though visually seamless as preserved in protective cover. Despite the few flaws to the dust jacket (which nonetheless remains boldly colored with complete front and back panels), a remarkably clean and presentable copy of this early printing of one of the most consequential American novels of the twentieth century.