Steinbeck (John) The North American Review, vol.236, nos. 5 and 6 (November and December 1933) and vol.237 no.4 (April 1934), 3 vol. bound as one, author's own copy signed "John Steinbeck" and "J.E. Steinbeck" on title or upper covers of each vol., additionally stamped "This book belongs to Carol and John Steinbeck" to title of November 1933 issue, upper joint cracked, leaves a little toned with occasional finger-soiling marks, original brown paper-covered boards, pencil and watercolour of nude woman reading by Carol Steinbeck on upper cover, upper cover of first issue and lower cover of last issue used as pastedowns, light surface toning and marking, spine a little creased, spine ends a little chipped, [Goldstone & Payne C9, C10, C11], 8vo.

⁂ Steinbeck’s own signed copy of his North American Review appearances, featuring “The Red Pony”.

The three issues bound here each feature a Steinbeck story: "The Red Pony" (November 1933); “The Great Mountains” (December 1933); and "The Murder" (April 1934). When Steinbeck's agents published "The Red Pony" with The North American Review, the writer and his wife Carol were overjoyed with the meagre $90 royalty check.

Steinbeck's nephew-in-law was David Heyler, a keen supporter of the author who began building a collection of Steinbeckiana over the years, to which the writer himself contributed. In various letters to Heyler, Steinbeck mentions some of his offerings to the collection: “today I packed up a bunch of junk and put it in a box...oddities and several manuscripts that have never been printed” (Steinbeck to Heyler, November 19, 1956).

A number of books bearing the "Carol and John Steinbeck" ownership stamp made their way to Heyler's collection, including this copy, which was likely as part of the "incunabula" (March 13, 1953) or “bunch of junk” as mentioned in his letters.

Provenance: The Mary Steinbeck Dekker Family Collection.