The Town and the City. A novel. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1951. First UK Edition. Buff cloth boards, title lettered in red to spine, in publisher’s pictorial dust jacket. Wear to head & tail of jacket, but overall a nice bright copy.

The first British edition of Kerouac’s debut novel, published a year after the US edition.

The first major published work by Kerouac, who was credited as “John Kerouac” in this edition. The story is a largely autobiographical coming-of-age novel, exploring life between a small Massachusetts town and New York City.

The novel was not a success upon release and received poor reviews from critics. It was six years until his next novel, On the Road, was published, which would eventually define his legacy.