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Appointment in Samarra (w/author's signature)

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Appointment in Samarra (w/author's signature)

by O'HARA, John

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • Signed
  • first
Condition
Very Good ++/Fine (Facsimile DW)
Seller
Seller rating:
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Springtown, Pennsylvania, United States
Item Price
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About This Item

NY: Harcourt Brace & Co., 1934. This is the true first edition (stated) with the errata slip present. Bound in Black cloth. Slight gilt fading to stamping on spine. Endpapers professionally restored and book tightened. Overall, a very nice copy of O'Hara's first book. Included with the book is a laid in author-signed slip of paper (1 1/4" X 3") Also included is a fine facsimile dustwrapper that fits the book perfectly. . AUTHOR-SIGNED. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good ++/Fine (Facsimile DW).

Synopsis

At the ripe age of twenty-eight, John O’Hara completed Appointment in Samarra, his first novel, in less than four months. At a similarly quick pace, the events of the book take place in a span of just three days. In this brief time, Appointment in Samarra tells of the increasingly impulsive and self-destructive acts that lead to the main character’s suicide. Julian English, once a high-ranking member of the community of Gibbsville, angers and alienates those close to him, resulting in the rapid decline of his social status. Specific explanations for Julian’s behavior are unclear in the text, though personal insecurities along with his alcoholism undoubtedly play a role. The small-town prejudices of Gibbsville (O’Hara’s fictionalized version of his hometown, Pottsville, Pennsylvania) greatly affect Julian’s demise as well. Omniscient narration works to expose these prejudices via the inner thoughts of various people in the town. The title, Appointment in Samarra, is a reference to W. Somerset Maugham's 1933 retelling of an old story in his play, Sheppey. In the story, which appears as an epigraph for the novel, Death speaks of meeting a merchant in Samarra, informing the reader from the beginning of the novel’s fatal ending. In his foreword to the 1952 reprint, O'Hara says that the working title for the novel was The Infernal Grove. It was not until fellow writer Dorothy Parker showed him the story in Maugham's play that he got the idea for the title Appointment in Samarra. Modern Library ranked Appointment in Samarra 22nd on its list of the “100 Best” English-language novels of the 20th century.

Read More: Identifying first editions of Appointment in Samarra (w/author's signature)

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Details

Bookseller
abookshop US (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #
002630
Title
Appointment in Samarra (w/author's signature)
Author
O'HARA, John
Format/Binding
Hardcover
Book Condition
Used - Very Good ++
Jacket Condition
Fine (Facsimile DW)
Edition
First Edition
Publisher
Harcourt Brace & Co.
Place of Publication
NY
Date Published
1934
Keywords
Literature

Terms of Sale

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About the Seller

abookshop

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2004
Springtown, Pennsylvania

About abookshop

We have been selling books of note (especially literary first editions, poetry and drama) for over 20 years.

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Spine
The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
Dustwrapper
Also known as book jacket, dust cover, or dust wrapper, a dust jacket is a protective and decorative cover for a book that is...
Cloth
"Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
First Edition
In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
Fine
A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
Facsimile
An exact copy of an original work. In books, it refers to a copy or reproduction, as accurate as possible, of an original...
Gilt
The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
Errata
Errata: aka Errata Slip A piece of paper either laid in to the book correcting errors found in the printed text after being...

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