Hrozny Hnevu [First Uncensored Czech Edition of The Grapes of Wrath]

Steinbeck, John; Procházka, Vladimir (Translation)

Published by Sfinx, Bohumil Janda, Premyslova 12, Praha (Prague, Czechoslovakia), 1946

About this Item

1946 date at title page and translator's notes dated 1946. Czechoslovak translation by Vladimir Procházka of John Steinbeck's classic novel on the American Depression, "The Grapes of Wrath". The first uncensored edition and the second Czech edition overall. The first issue was a censored issue and published in 1941. John Steinbeck visited Czechoslovakia in 1946. Pictorial cover art by Jaroslav Váb. Scarce edition of this winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Classic 1940s red and white striped wraps with blue titles over white cross hatched shredded flag or rudimentary rug, some cover, corner, edge wear, rub, toning. Unique wrap-around flaps with summary for this title at front flap and other title by Mich. Solochov at back flap. Back of book features advert for "Narod se branil" by Albert Prazak. Thick deckled pages generally very good; few with light pencilled notation. Bind intact; exterior spine show vertical crack. Vladimír Procházka includes in his notes an excerpt from a positive review of his translation: "In reading this translation we forget that it's a translation. How many translations can we say that about?" Procházka was a lawyer and communist and forced to withdraw from his political activities during the Nazi occupation. At this time he translated "The Grapes of Wrath" along with works by James Joyce and Bernard Shaw. In 1946, he was elected to parliament and helped draft the new Czechoslovak constitution. John Steinbeck made two trips to communist Czechoslovakia and met Prochazka. Procházka also served as Czechoslovak ambassador to the United States. The classic American novel of the Depression era struggles as midwesterners move west through the Dust Bowl. John Steinbeck focuses on the Joads, a family of tenant farmers driven from their Oklahoma home. They are forced to flee west after drought and dust storms, economic hardship, agricultural mal-practices and bank foreclosures, all come down upon them. Steinbeck's most popular novel was the winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the basis for the classic 1940 John Ford Academy Award-winning film starring Henry Fonda. The novel while depicting hardship and tragedy is sheer delight; heightened for the reader by the presence of a few gently satirical notes - almost as though Steinbeck was poking occasional fun at his characters and himself. Beneath the theme, the reader finds subtle and poignant patterns which will give a grateful awareness of why John Steinbeck occupies his eminent position among novelists. The Dust Bowl of the 1930s lasted from 1928 to 1942 as the plains and prairies of America were left intensely dry with many years receiving less than half the normal precipitation. The phenomenon was caused by this severe drought and also the failure to prevent erosion. Dryland farming practices were a leading cause along with the depletion of the natural topsoil by settlers. Devestatingly, the Dust Bowl nearly exactly coincided with and contributed to the severity and duration of the Great Depression. These events lead many to migrate from the midwest to California. 573 pages. Insured post. Size: 8vo - over 7ž - 9ž" Tall.

Seller Inventory # 022770

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Hrozny Hnevu [First Uncensored Czech Edition of The Grapes of Wrath]
• Publisher: Sfinx, Bohumil Janda, Premyslova 12, Praha (Prague, Czechoslovakia)
• Publication Date: 1946
• Binding: Soft Cover
• Illustrator: Váb, Jaroslav (Translation)
• Edition: Second Edition.
• Condition: Good