New York: Farrar, Straus & Cudahy, (1960). First edition, 1st printing. 8vo. 243 pp. Original quarter grey cloth under crimson marbled paper boards, stamped in white, grey, in original unclipped ($3.75) dust-jacket. Faint edge wear, particular to spine crown. A small abrasion to spine. Light handling and shelf wear. Protected in archival mylar. Book is tight, square and firm. Light curling to spine ends. Faint forward lean, light outward bow to boards. Interior clean and unmarked. Scarce, signed by the author on the half-title page, along with her penned correction on p. 242. On January 28, 1960, soon after she had received the book, Flannery O'Connor wrote to author Cecil Dawkins that "The worst misprint was actually on the next to the last page. It is supposed to be 'he heard the command,' and they have it, he heard to command," which doesn't make sense." — O’Connor was so displeased with the error, It is purported that occasionally, when O’Connor signed copies of this book, she would turn to this page and make the correction herself.

Dust Jacket: Near Fine

Hardcover: Near Fine

“The Violent Bear It Away is a 1960 novel by American author Flannery O'Connor. It is the second and final novel that she published. The first chapter was originally published as the story "You Can't Be Any Poorer Than Dead" in the journal New World Writing. The novel tells the story of Francis Marion Tarwater, a fourteen-year-old boy who is trying to escape the destiny his uncle has prescribed for him: the life of a prophet. Like most of O'Connor's stories, the novel is filled with Catholic themes and dark images, making it a classic example of Southern Gothic literature. Flannery O'Connor was a devout Catholic, and The Violent Bear It Away reflects her religious beliefs. It is filled with religious imagery and themes, ranging from the power of passion to the dominance of destiny.”