William Faulkner. Intruder in the Dust.New York: Signet Classics 1949.
Intruder in the Dust was a commercial success, the first to become a bestseller since Sanctuary. Even before the book's publication in September 1948, Metro-Goldwin-Mayer offered $50,000 for the screen rights. When Faulkner heard this news, he and Estelle celebrated, and one relative reported seeing him dancing tipsily around his living room. "Anyone who can write a book and sell it to Hollywood for $50,000 has a right to get tight," he explained, "and to dance a jig with his shoes off."
The many later editions of this novel attest to its popularity and to the fact that publishers and readers alike responded to the psychological and moral lessons in addition to the wild adventures. The artwork on most of the book jackets and paperback covers are more restrained than some had been for other titles. Even Signet Books, which usually used its covers to hint at racy, violent, sexy, and immoral scenes to be found in the book, this time highlights the black-white conflict. Particularly revealing are the differences between SignetŐs 1949 and 1960 covers.
