Joan Didion. First edition, stated first printing. New York: Farrah, Straus and Giroux, 1970. Both unclipped dust jacket (in a mylar wrapper) and hardcover are in Very Good+ condition. No writing or markings found in this well-preserved copy, 214 pp.
A scarce and highly collectible first edition of Joan Didion’s landmark 1970 novel, Play It As It Lays, one of the defining works of postwar American literature.
Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in New York in 1970, this is a true first edition, first printing featuring the original unclipped dust jacket. The novel follows Maria Wyeth, an actress navigating the fractured landscape of Hollywood, personal loss, and existential uncertainty in late-1960s California. With Didion’s trademark precision, restraint, and cultural insight, Play It As It Lays remains one of her most influential and enduring works.
This collectible copy features the original dust jacket in Very Good+ condition and is protected in a clear archival Mylar wrapper. The hardcover is in excellent condition, with no writing, markings, or significant flaws noted.
A cornerstone title for collectors of Joan Didion first editions, modern American literature, California fiction, and important 20th-century authors.
A beautiful collectible copy of one of Joan Didion’s most celebrated novels.
