The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. By Mark Twain. Signed by Thomas Hart Benton. Signed Limited Edition. Limited Editions Club. Cambridge, 1939.

Mark Twain, often considered the Father of American Literature, led a full and enigmatic life. He was an acclaimed author of novels and travelogues, but also a riverboat captain, a prospector, a journalist, a public speaker, an inventor, and a publisher. He traveled the world several times over. He adored his daughters and wife. He was friends with many of the most notable people of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Much of his experiences influenced his literature which he infused with incredible humor and social commentary. This is especially true in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. It is a boyhood tale reminiscent of Twain’s own childhood in Hannibal, Missouri. Alongside its sequel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, it is widely considered Twain’s greatest work and a foundational text of modern American literature. In this signed limited edition, Twain’s classic is paired with exceptional illustrations by Thomas Hart Benton. It is one of the most desirable Limited Editions Club volumes. It contains some of Benton’s best work.

This signed limited edition is signed by Benton on the colophon. It is one of only 1,500 copies. It is in very good condition. In the original denim cloth, very good with corners rubbed, spine faded, and spine label chipped and rubbed. Text block very good. Bottom edge rubbed. Bookplate residue and pen marks to front free endpaper. Occasional pen marks and marginalia to the text. In the original slipcase, very good with chips, tears, and rubbing.

A very good LEC edition of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.