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The Unstrung Harp
by Gorey, Edward
- Used
- near fine
- Signed
- first
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Seller
-
Portland, Oregon, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York / Boston: Duell, Sloan, & Pearce / Little, Brown, 1953. First Edition. Near Fine. First edition, first printing. Signed by Edward Gorey on the title page. Bound in publisher's illustrated boards. Near Fine with light rubbing at tips, former owner name to front pastedown and erased area to front free endpaper, pages toned. A lovely copy of Edward Gorey's first published book, scarcely found signed.
Synopsis
On November 18th of alternate years Mr Earbrass begins writing 'his new novel.' Weeks ago he chose its title at random from a list of them he keeps in a little green note-book. It being tea-time of the 17th, he is alarmed not to have thought of a plot to which The Unstrung Harp might apply, but his mind will keep reverting to the last biscuit on the plate." So begins what the Times Literary Supplement called "a small masterpiece." TUH is a look at the literary life and its "attendant woes: isolation, writer's block, professional jealousy, and plain boredom." But, as with all of Edward Gorey's books, TUH is also about life in general, with its anguish, turnips, conjunctions, illness, defeat, string, parties, no parties, urns, desuetude, disaffection, claws, loss, trebizond, napkins, shame, stones, distance, fever, antipodes, mush, glaciers, incoherence, labels, miasma, amputation, tides, deceit, mourning, elsewards. You get the point. Finally, TUH is about Edward Gorey the writer, about Edward Gorey writing The Unstrung Harp. It's a cracked mirror of a book, and it's dedicated to RDP or Real Dear Person.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 140942502
- Title
- The Unstrung Harp
- Author
- Gorey, Edward
- Book Condition
- Used - Near Fine
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First Edition
- Publisher
- Duell, Sloan, & Pearce / Little, Brown
- Place of Publication
- New York / Boston
- Date Published
- 1953
Terms of Sale
Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
Biblio member since 2010
Portland, Oregon
About Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
Burnside Rare Books specializes in literary first editions and works of cultural and historic significance. We are located in Portland, Oregon and welcome visitors by appointment.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Rubbing
- Abrasion or wear to the surface. Usually used in reference to a book's boards or dust-jacket.
- 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...
- Title Page
- A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
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