The Gods Arrive. By Edith Wharton. First Edition, First Printing. Appleton. New York, 1932.

Edith Wharton was one of the great American authors of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Some of her most notable works, such as Age of Innocence and House of Mirth, perfectly captured the sentiments of the American upper classes in the Gilded Age. She is often classified as a literary realist and naturalist, ranking among the best in those genres, alongside Henry James and William Dean Howells. In 1921, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction–the first woman to ever receive the award. In The Gods Arrive, Wharton provides us with a quintessential example of her talent and interests. It is the story of Halo Tarrant, a privileged woman married to an untenable husband. The narrative broaches pertinent subjects for the era, especially the ethics of divorce and infidelity. It is the sequel to Hudson River Bracketed. It was the last novel published in Wharton’s lifetime.

This first edition, first printing is in very good condition. In the original blue cloth, variant A, very good with only minor soiling and rubbing. Spine lightly faded. Text block near-fine, only minor spotting to fore-edge. (1) present on page 432. In the original dust jacket, variant A, good with only chipping and small closed tear to edges, significant rubbing to back panel, and some rubbing to front panel. 

A very good first edition by Edith Wharton.