Identification
Photo reference
4 uploaded photos
Overview
This is a first edition, early printing of Alan Paton's landmark 1948 novel, 'Cry, the Beloved Country'. Bound in its original green cloth with distinctive red and black tribal-inspired wave patterns on the spine and front board, it stands as one of the most influential social protest novels of the 20th century. The valuation is anchored by a verified $165 sale of an identical early Scribner's printing that included a Very Good+ dust jacket.
Story
Published in 1948 by Charles Scribner's Sons, Alan Paton's novel is a seminal work of South African literature that brought global attention to the country's racial injustices prior to formal apartheid. The distinctive tribal wave binding is iconic to this specific edition. The market for mid-20th-century literature remains steady, driven by collectors of landmark social and historical fiction. 'Cry, the Beloved Country' holds significant literary importance, ensuring consistent baseline demand.
Maker / Origin
Unattributed
Condition & Value
Value for this edition is heavily dependent on the condition of the green cloth boards, the brightness of the red and black stamping, and the presence and condition of the dust jacket. Any sunning to the spine, bumped corners, or foxing to the pages will discount the value toward the lower end of the range.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
The market for mid-20th-century literature remains steady, driven by collectors of landmark social and historical fiction. 'Cry, the Beloved Country' holds significant literary importance, ensuring consistent baseline demand. However, values are highly stratified based on the presence of the original dust jacket and specific printing points.
▲ Landmark 20th-century social protest novel ensures baseline literary collector demand.
▲ Original green cloth with distinctive tribal wave stamping is highly recognizable.
▲ Verified comp at $165 establishes a clear market ceiling for an early printing with an intact dust jacket.
▼ Unverified dust jacket — missing the original jacket would drop the estimate by up to 70%.
▼ Unverified copyright page — lacking the Scribner 'A' confirms an early but not true first printing, capping the high-end value.
▼ Potential spine sunning or cloth wear — common for this era and would push value to the lower bound.
Best Venue
Verify the presence of the original dust jacket and check the copyright page for the Scribner 'A'. If the jacket is present and intact, list on specialized book platforms like AbeBooks or Biblio at the higher end of the range. If lacking the jacket, list as a reading copy on general marketplaces like eBay at the lower bound.
Upside Potential
If the copyright page features the Scribner 'A' (indicating a true first printing) and it retains a Near Fine, unclipped dust jacket, the value shifts into the $300-$500+ collector tier.
Also found — market-range context
Surfaced during research but not used to anchor the valuation — wrong form, species, era, or no published price. Shown so the market range around this item is visible.