first edition
1962 · New York
by Baldwin, James
New York: The Dial Press, 1962. Fine in very good plus jacket.. First edition, review copy with publisher's publicity photo laid in of novel that Baldwin said "makes GIOVANNI seem conservative-almost square." Baldwin's 1962 novel was written over the course of more than a decade, during the author's stays in Greenwich Village, in William Styron's Connecticut guest house, in Paris, and finally in Istanbul: a writing process so long and so spread out over the globe because "I couldn't find the peace of mind-the space free of other people-to write anywhere in America" (Weatherby). The result, banned for obscenity in New Orleans and panned by a petulant Norman Mailer as "abominably written" except for the sex, was also a bestseller second only to Golding's LORD OF THE FLIES. NATIONAL REVIEW, of all places, called it "brilliantly written." 8.25'' x 5.5''. Original black cloth, white-lettered spine and front board. In original unclipped ($5.95) color typographic dust jacket with design by Paul Bacon, photo of Baldwin by Roy Hyrkin to rear flap. Red endpapers. [8], 436 pages. Publisher's publicity photo, with portrait of Baldwin by Hyrkin and publication date ("June 25, 1962") in margin, laid in. Jacket with some toning to spine and panel margins; small ink notation ("449") to front flap. Top edge a trifle dusty.
(Inventory #: 51007)