{"product_id":"the-pearl","title":"The Pearl","description":"\u003cp\u003e6b John Steinbeck. Great Britain: William Heinemann LTD, 1948. \u003cstrong\u003eFirst Edition.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNotes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 12px 0px 16px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-processed=\"true\" data-complete=\"true\" data-hveid=\"CAAIEhAA\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003eBased closely on a traditional Mexican folk tale from La Paz, \u003cem data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-processed=\"true\" data-complete=\"true\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" class=\"eujQNb\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"wfWfIf fxyaSe\"\u003e\u003cspan data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-processed=\"true\" data-complete=\"true\" data-ved=\"2ahUKEwjN0YXxrcaUAxVKJUQIHWymJ2YQ3egRegYIAAgSEAE\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" id=\"\" role=\"button\" class=\"jAOkJc\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003e\u003cspan data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-processed=\"true\" data-complete=\"true\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" class=\"T286Pc\"\u003eThe Pearl\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e is a devastating, poetic parable that explores the destructive nature of wealth, corruption, and human greed. The narrative follows Kino, a poor, indigenous Mexican pearl diver who lives a simple, harmonious life with his wife, Juana, and their infant son, Coyotito. When Coyotito is stung by a scorpion and denied treatment by the greedy local doctor, Kino’s luck seemingly turns when he unearths an impossibly massive, flawless pearl—the legendary \"Pearl of the World.\" Instead of securing his family's freedom and providing an education for his son, the promise of immense fortune instantly triggers the predatory instincts of his community. Kino is besieged by corrupt pearl buyers, thieves, and violent intruders, forcing him onto a desperate, bloody flight into the mountains. Through this tragic canvas, Steinbeck crafts a profound existential meditation on how colonial oppression and material desire can distort human values and tear apart the sanctuary of familial love.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 12px 0px 16px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-processed=\"true\" data-complete=\"true\" data-hveid=\"CAAIEhAA\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 12px 0px 16px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-processed=\"true\" data-complete=\"true\" data-hveid=\"CAAIEhAA\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eThe inspiration for \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" class=\"eujQNb\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"wfWfIf fxyaSe\"\u003e\u003cspan data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-processed=\"true\" data-complete=\"true\" data-ved=\"2ahUKEwjN0YXxrcaUAxVKJUQIHWymJ2YQ3egRegYIAAgXEAE\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" id=\"\" role=\"button\" class=\"jAOkJc\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003e\u003cspan data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-processed=\"true\" data-complete=\"true\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" class=\"T286Pc\"\u003eThe Pearl\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e struck \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\" class=\"wfWfIf fxyaSe\"\u003e\u003cspan data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-processed=\"true\" data-complete=\"true\" data-ved=\"2ahUKEwjN0YXxrcaUAxVKJUQIHWymJ2YQ3egRegYIAAgXEAI\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" id=\"\" role=\"button\" class=\"jAOkJc\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003e\u003cspan data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-processed=\"true\" data-complete=\"true\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" class=\"T286Pc\"\u003eJohn Steinbeck\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e in 1940 during a marine biological expedition to the Sea of Cortez with his close friend and mentor, Ed Ricketts. The story was first published under the title \"The Pearl of the World\" in the December 1945 issue of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-processed=\"true\" data-complete=\"true\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" class=\"eujQNb\"\u003eWoman’s Home Companion\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e. Steinbeck subsequently expanded the text into a standalone novella, which was released in the United States by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-processed=\"true\" data-complete=\"true\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" class=\"T286Pc\"\u003eThe Viking Press\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e in late 1947. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\" class=\"Yjhzub\"\u003e\u003cspan data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-processed=\"true\" data-complete=\"true\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" class=\"T286Pc\"\u003eWilliam Heinemann Ltd\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e, Steinbeck's trusted, long-standing British publisher, swiftly brought the expanded narrative to the United Kingdom market early the following year. Steinbeck’s prose in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-processed=\"true\" data-complete=\"true\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" class=\"eujQNb\"\u003eThe Pearl\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e is uniquely stark, rhythmic, and biblical, utilizing recurring motif concepts like internal \"songs\"—such as the Song of the Family and the Song of Evil—to evoke the timeless oral traditions of native storytelling.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 12px 0px 16px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-hveid=\"CAAIFxAA\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 12px 0px 16px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-hveid=\"CAAIFxAA\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eThe 1948 British release of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" class=\"eujQNb\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"wfWfIf fxyaSe\"\u003e\u003cspan data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-processed=\"true\" data-complete=\"true\" data-ved=\"2ahUKEwjN0YXxrcaUAxVKJUQIHWymJ2YQ3egRegYIAAgcEAE\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" id=\"\" role=\"button\" class=\"jAOkJc\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003e\u003cspan data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-processed=\"true\" data-complete=\"true\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" class=\"T286Pc\"\u003eThe Pearl\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e arrived during a bleak period of post-war austerity and strict paper rationing in the United Kingdom, making clean, well-preserved surviving copies of this 97-page edition notably scarce on the antiquarian market. British critics and readers universally praised the concise, razor-sharp intensity of the text, viewing it as a masterful crystallization of Steinbeck’s signature moral consciousness and social advocacy. Today, this first UK edition remains highly prized by international collectors. Because the vibrant, artistic \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\" class=\"Yjhzub\"\u003eHeinemann dust jacket\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e was printed on fragile post-war paper stocks, finding copies that are not severely chipped at the spine tips or heavily foxed remains an uncommon and rewarding achievement for any bibliophile.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 12px 0px 16px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-hveid=\"CAAIFxAA\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 12px 0px 16px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-hveid=\"CAAIFxAA\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eDescription\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 12px 0px 16px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-hveid=\"CAAIFxAA\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 12px 0px 16px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-hveid=\"CAAIFxAA\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eBlue canvas binding with black label to cover and spine with gilt lettering. Original dust wrapper. Slight wear to decker but overall very crisp and clean. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Moons Rare Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56493410582694,"sku":null,"price":395.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0173\/6563\/1040\/files\/C1E14DE2-5F65-4135-84FB-50F58402CBE7.jpg?v=1779236376","url":"https:\/\/moons-rare-books.myshopify.com\/products\/the-pearl","provider":"Moons Rare Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}