Damaged Goods by Upton Sinclair – First Edition Novelized Play – Social Reform Literature – Progressive Era History - 1913 Antique Book

This is a 1913 hardcover edition of Damaged Goods, Upton Sinclair’s novelized version of the controversial French play Les Avariés by Eugène Brieux. Written with Brieux’s approval, Sinclair adapted this groundbreaking work as part of the early 20th century’s push for social and medical reform. At the time, the play and this novel sparked heated conversations about public health, morality, and the dangers of untreated venereal disease — topics considered taboo in polite society. The New York Times called the production “epoch-making,” and Sinclair’s adaptation helped bring the message to a wider American audience. This piece is a true slice of history — part literature, part social statement. It would be a great addition to a collection focused on early 20th-century reform, Upton Sinclair, or vintage medical and educational works. This piece is a true slice of history — part literature, part social statement. It would be a great addition to a collection focused on early 20th-century reform, Upton Sinclair, or vintage medical and educational works.

📚 Synopsis
Damaged Goods follows the story of George Dupont, a young man engaged to be married, who, after a night of indiscretion, contracts syphilis. A doctor warns him of the dangers of untreated disease and the consequences of hiding the truth. The work is a social drama and cautionary tale, meant to educate the public on the importance of medical honesty and reform.

Sinclair's adaptation keeps the moral and educational weight of the original play intact while reformatting it for readers. He was known for writing with reform in mind, and Damaged Goods was a part of the growing progressive-era health movement in the United States.

Condition: Good
The book is over 110 years old and has held up remarkably well:
Hardcover with gold-stamped title
All pages intact
Binding is strong
No writing or markings inside
The book does have staining at the bottom of the pages starting around page 71 and continuing to the back. The staining is heaviest near the middle of that range (please see photos for reference). The boards also show light wear at the spine and corners, as you’d expect from a book of this age.

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