• 1946 first edition hardcover of Pavilion of Women by Pearl S. Buck. Nobel Prize-winning historical novel set in traditional China.
  • PAVILLION OF WOMEN by Pearl Buck First Edition ©1946 OWNER'S NAME AND DATE
  • PAVILLION OF WOMEN by Pearl Buck First Edition ©1946 COPYRIGHT PAGE
  • PAVILLION OF WOMEN by Pearl Buck First Edition ©1946 BACK COVER
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John Day Company

Pavilion of Women | Pearl S. Buck 1946 First Edition Hardcover

Pavilion of Women | Pearl S. Buck 1946 First Edition Hardcover

$32.00 USD
$32.00 USD
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AT A GLANCE

Title:
Pavilion of Women
Publisher:
John Day Company
Author:
Pearl S. Buck
Era:
Post-War Literature (1945 – 1959)
Date:
1946 First Edition
Origin:
New York, New York USA
Condition:
Very Good (VG)
Cover:
Hardcover
Pages:
316
OCLC:
186512228
Book genre:
Historical Fiction | Literary Fiction
Notes:
Dated 1946 owner inscription on front endpaper

A thoughtful and provocative Pearl S. Buck novel exploring marriage, duty, spirituality, and personal freedom within traditional Chinese society. 

Collector’s Note

Pavilion of Women remains one of Pearl Buck’s most discussed later novels because of its unusually modern treatment of women’s independence, marriage, and spirituality. Early hardcover editions are increasingly sought by collectors of Nobel Prize literature, women writers, Asian historical fiction, and mid-century literary design. The striking pagoda cover illustration gives jacketless copies particularly strong decorative appeal on display shelves.

Published in 1946 by The John Day Company, Pavilion of Women centers on Madame Wu, the poised and disciplined matriarch of a wealthy Chinese household who, upon turning forty, makes the startling decision to withdraw from her marital relationship and select a concubine for her husband.

What follows is one of Pearl Buck’s most psychologically layered novels, blending themes of tradition, religion, female autonomy, and intellectual awakening against the backdrop of pre-revolutionary China. Through Madame Wu’s evolving relationships and moral struggles, Buck examines the tension between social obligation and personal fulfillment in a rapidly changing world.

Author Biography

Pearl S. Buck (1892–1973) became the first American woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1938. Raised in China as the daughter of Presbyterian missionaries, Buck spent much of her life immersed in Chinese language and culture, experiences that profoundly shaped her fiction. Her novels—including The Good Earth, Imperial Woman, and Pavilion of Women—introduced generations of Western readers to Chinese history, family traditions, and social change during the late imperial and early modern eras.

This 1946 first edition hardcover retains its original cream cloth binding decorated with a vivid red pagoda illustration on the front cover. The dust jacket is no longer present, but the book remains an attractive vintage example with clean pages, a secure binding, and strong shelf presentation. Moderate age toning and scattered staining to the cloth covers are present, along with an early owner’s inscription dated December 1946 on the front endpaper, adding period provenance shortly after publication.

Browse the Classic Literature collection for more Pearl Buck classics, literature, modern fiction and links to other popular printed works.

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