The Reivers by William Faulkner (FIRST EDITION, Final Novel by Nobel Laureate), 1962 📜✍️🥇

This is a rare First Edition, First Printing of The Reivers: A Reminiscence by William Faulkner, one of the most important American authors of the 20th century.

The volume is classified as a top-shelf bibliographical artifact, appealing to collectors who seek the canonical works of Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners.

Its value is secured by its verifiable First Printing status in 1962 and its distinction as the author's final published novel, marking the literary end of his career.

2. About the Artwork/Book/Object 📖✍️✨ The Reivers is a novel set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County and is structured as a lighthearted, episodic "reminiscence" of a 1905 road trip. The plot follows a young boy, Lucius Priest, and three companions as they commandeer a car and embark on a journey from Mississippi to Memphis.

The book is considered a comedic departure from Faulkner's characteristic tragedy and high modernist style, though it retains his signature themes of honor and innocence. The binding is a simple, stately red cloth with the title and author's name stamped in gold gilt, a minimalist design consistent with high-end literary publications of the 1960s.

3. About the Artist/Author/Maker ✍️🏛️ William Faulkner (1897–1962) was a titan of American literature, winning the 1949 Nobel Prize in Literature and two Pulitzer Prizes. His complex, stream-of-consciousness narratives explored the moral decay and social history of the American South.

The Reivers was published by Random House, one of the most important American publishing houses of the mid-20th century, confirming the book’s institutional importance. The book’s 1962 publication was concurrent with the final months of Faulkner's life.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜 This First Edition was published in 1962, a pivotal year in American history characterized by the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the transition into the tumultuous 1960s. The novel itself, though set in 1905, serves as a poignant, nostalgic look at a simpler, bygone America.

The publication functions as a tangible cultural moment—the final artistic statement of a literary giant before his passing. The book's dedication to his grandchildren links the work to the author's personal legacy in a decade of rapid national change.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️ This volume is an essential acquisition for a curator of 20th-Century American Literary First Editions and Nobel Laureates.

It is ideally suited for a collector who specializes in canonical Southern literature and seeks the complete bibliographical record of a major author, particularly their final published work. The book belongs in a collection that prioritizes critical literary milestones.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️ This book is a First Edition, First Printing (code W), a key bibliographical milestone. The volume is approximately 63 years old.

Its scarcity is moderate as a major Random House trade edition. However, its value is significantly elevated by its status as Faulkner's final novel, a permanent marker in literary history. The handwritten price inscription of "$20.00" provides a traceable retail history from the book's early circulation.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨ The physical condition has been assessed directly from the provided high-resolution photography. The book is deemed to be in Very Good Antique Condition.

• Binding: Bound in original publisher's red cloth with gold gilt stamping on the cover and spine .

• Printing: Confirmed as the First Edition, First Printing (Key code W).

• Dedication: The printed dedication to Faulkner's family is clear and intact.

• Wear: The cloth binding shows light rubbing and minor discoloration on the cover and spine ends, consistent with its age.

• Internal Marks: Contains a handwritten pencil price of "$20.00" on the front free endpaper.

• Text Block: The text block is secure and clean, with light toning appropriate for its age.

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

• The Final Work: Faulkner completed the manuscript for The Reivers in late 1961 and passed away in July 1962, making its publication a final, major event in his life.

• The Publisher's Key: The letter "W" on the copyright page is the specific, verifiable Random House code that confirms this book is the true First Printing.

• The Price History: The handwritten "$20.00" price on the endpaper is a significant historical data point, as the typical retail price of trade novels in 1962 was $4.00–$5.00, suggesting this was a premium collector price at the time of sale.

• The Car Trip: The plot centers on the theft of a car—a Winton Flyer—for a trip from Jefferson, Mississippi, reflecting the early 20th-century American obsession with the automobile.

9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

• Object Type: First Edition Novel (Literary Milestone)

• Author: William Faulkner

• Title: The Reivers: A Reminiscence

• Year/Period: 1962 (Copyright and Publication)

• Publisher: Random House, Inc.

• Place of Origin: New York

• Format/Binding: Publisher’s Red Cloth with Gilt Stamping

• Edition/Rarity: First Edition, First Printing (Publisher Code W)

• Transcription of Marks (Copyright Page): W Copyright, 1962, by William Faulkner

• Transcription of Retail Marks (FFEP): $20.00 (Pencil Price)