Modern First Editions 1940-1949

Many consider For Whom the Bell Tolls to be author Ernest Hemingway's finest work. Inspired by Hemingway's time as a war correspondent for The North American Newspaper Alliance during the Spanish Civil War, For Whom the Bell Tolls is a stark and brutal commentary on the nature of war, sacrifice, and death. In fact, many believe his work is among the best depictions of the Spanish Civil War written. As with some of Hemingway's other work, many of the characters, experiences, and events were based off real people and battles Hemingway saw.One of the most interesting qualities of For Whom the Bell Tolls is the use and restraint of profanity. Even though Hemingway had already written much about war and tribulations and had never seemed inclined to limit the use of vulgar language, For Whom the Bell Tolls is a clear exemption. When writing dialogue, Hemingway would insert the word 'obscenity' instead of writing the exact word or phrase. There has been a lot of discussion about the reason for such omissions, and while some believe Hemingway was worried about the book being banned and thus wanted to make the book as reader-friendly as possible for a brutally violent war novel, others believe the omissions of profanity was due to transliteration problems and the author's attempt to be as honest to the dialogue he heard as possible.There is no arguing with the legacy and influence Hemingway had not only on American culture, but also on generations of future writers. Hemingway inspired countless journalists with his in-depth profiles and wartime articles. Even the cities where he wrote his books are now places for pilgrimage among his most devoted fans. Hemingway first started writing For Whom the Bell Tolls in Cuba and later finished it in Sun Valley, Idaho. In fact, both hotel rooms are now popular tourist destinations.

The inclusion of Go Down, Moses on our list of the most influential modern first editions may be controversial. Some argue that Go Down, Moses should not be considered a traditional novel, but William Faulkner was never a traditional writer. Go Down, Moses is a collection of seven short stories that spans over a hundred years of the history of a Mississippi family. Though fragmented, Faulkner himself argued that Go Down, Moses is a novel, and may have even argued that the title should have only been Go Down, Moses and not include the phrase, 'and other stories'.Like so many others of Faulkner's writings, Go Down, Moses focuses on the trials and tribulations of a single family, and it is an important work in the Southern Gothic genre. Faulkner uses his typical stream of consciousness and internal monologues in Go Down, Moses, and places particular emphasis on the African American characters. Faulkner was one of the few White writers of the time to write African American characters with insight and depth, and he uses Go Down, Moses as a way to tackle many of the racial stereotypes and difficulties that plagued both White and Black Americans of the time.Go Down, Moses is not the most famous of Faulkner's work, and it is a challenging and sometimes inaccessible reading experience. Typical of Faulkner, the character family tree in Go Down, Moses is complex and often confusing, forcing the reader to read slowly and piece together the inter-connectedness of the various characters. But Go Down, Moses represents an important trend in American literature of the 1940's. A time of great racial and social strife, many writers were exploring themes of nature, family, and our obligations to one another--themes that are directly addressed with subtlety and grace in Go Down, Moses.

C.S. Lewis is without a doubt one of the most influential and admired authors of the 20th century, and his 1942 work The Screwtape Letters is responsible for making him a household name. One of the most well-known of the Christian apologist novels, The Screwtape Letters is a collection of letters from Screwtape, a retired but formerly high ranking demon and his up-and-coming demon of a nephew, Wormwood. In the letters, Screwtape is advising Wormwood on how best to manipulate and plague his 'patient', a young man who recently converted to Christianity. The book is entirely written solely of these letters, so the reader develops a deep understanding and intimacy with Screwtape.The Screwtape Letters was an instant success, even more so after Lewis gave a series of interviews on the BBC radio. The Screwtape Letters was adapted into radio plays, stage productions, and the film rights were bought in the 1950's. Further, even though the fame of The Screwtape Letters pales in comparison to The Chronicles of Narnia, Screwtape continues to have a strong cultural presence in the Western world.Even though many readers pay little attention to the dedications the authors include at the beginning of novels, the dedication of The Screwtape Letters is particularly interesting and reveal quite a bit about both Lewis and his work. Lewis dedicated The Screwtape Letters to his friend, colleague, and literary rival, author J.R.R. Tolkein. Even though there is quite a bit of debate as to how much Lewis and Tolkein actually liked the other's work, the influence felt by each is undeniable. In fact, Tolkein is given credit for converting Lewis to Christianity, the faith that of course inspired much of Lewis' work. When Lewis was first beginning to write Screwtape, Tolkein warned Lewis not to dwell to long or to deeply in the mind of demons, as they only lead to darkness. Lewis would later remark that he never truly enjoyed writing Screwtape, for it brought him too close to the thoughts of demons and of the nature of evil.Ultimately, even though Screwtape never enjoyed the same level of popularity as Lewis' later work, the influence and impact of Screwtape on the future work of Lewis is incalculable. Lewis will forever be remembered as one of the foremost writers on Christian thought, and Screwtape will be remembered as a masterful piece of Christian literature.

Though Ayn Rand may be best known for her later novel Atlas Shrugged, many call her 1943 work The Fountainhead to be her crowning achievement. The Fountainhead's plot follows the life of protagonist Howard Roark, a brilliant yet stubborn architect who eschews the industry's fixation on traditional architecture. Roark strongly believes in his modernist designs, but he continually has to fight the forces that be that try to derail and diminish his vision. While politics were never far from Rand's writing, she considered The Fountainhead to be apolitical, instead insisting that the novel focuses on the personal battles her characters must fight in the face of bureaucracy and mediocrity.

As with her earlier novel We the Living, it took Rand a long time to find a publisher willing to publish such a large and intellectual book. After being rejected by no less than 12 publishers, The Fountainhead finally found a publisher with Bobbs-Merrill Company. Even though the book was met with middling reviews and not a lot of publicity, The Fountainhead's audience grew by word of mouth and became a best seller in just two years.

Rand's politics are well known, and they have been incredibly influential. There was never much ambiguity in her writing when it came to her beliefs, and she is considered one of the leading pioneers in modern American Libertarianism. Rand was adamant about her ideas of the 'ideal man', and had no shame in building a pedestal upon which he could stand.

When considering great works of literature published in the 1930's and 1940's, it is always intriguing to compare and contrast the politics and philosophies of authors on opposite ends of the spectrum, such as John Steinbeck and Ayn Rand. To dig even deeper, it is always important to remember the international backdrop in which these authors produced their most important works, which in the case of Ayn Rand, was the rise of fascism and World War Two.