Click for full-size.
Appointment in Samarra
by O'Hara, John
- Used
- very good
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- Very Good/Good
- Seller
-
Woodstock, Illinois, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1934. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Good. First State. Very Good in a Good second state jacket, unclipped ($2.50), generally rubbed with some creases, chipped at the corners and at the front gutter. Black buckram boards, some rubbing, with gilt lettering on the spine. Firmly bound with a slight forward lean to the spine, clean internally. O'Hara's acclaimed novel of Julian English and his car dealership in a fictionalized Pennslyvania. Named to Modern Library's list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.
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
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- Carpetbagger Books, IOBA
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 2656
- Title
- Appointment in Samarra
- Author
- O'Hara, John
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Jacket Condition
- Good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First Edition
- Publisher
- Harcourt Brace and Company
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 1934
Terms of Sale
Carpetbagger Books, IOBA
All items are returnable for a refund within 30 days of receipt.
About the Seller
Carpetbagger Books, IOBA
Biblio member since 2018
Woodstock, Illinois
About Carpetbagger Books, IOBA
Based in the far northwest reaches of the Chicago suburbs, Carpetbagger Books specializes in literary fiction and modern firsts. Inventory is updated weekly, if not more frequently, so browse often. If you are after something particular, don't hesitate to communicate: not all inventory is uploaded online.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Second State
- used in book collecting to refer to a first edition, but after some change has been made in the printing, such as a correction,...
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- First State
- used in book collecting to refer to a book from the earliest run of a first edition, generally distinguished by a change in some...
- 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....
- Gutter
- The inside margin of a book, connecting the pages to the joints near the binding.
- 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...
- Buckram
- A plain weave fabric normally made from cotton or linen which is stiffened with starch or other chemicals to cover the book...
- 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...
- Rubbing
- Abrasion or wear to the surface. Usually used in reference to a book's boards or dust-jacket.
Frequently asked questions
Collecting proofs, galleys, and advance reviews
Devoted collectors of rare books will love finding proofs, galleys, and advance review copies of their favorite pieces of literature. Find rare proofs and advance reading copies in the Rare Book Room.
Beat Poet Michael McClure
From the fateful reading at Six-Gallery in 1955 to his novels, poetry, and stage productions, Michael McClure was right in the thick of the Beat Generation as it was born. See his books and art and learn more about the works of Michael McClure.
