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Appointment in Samarra.

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Appointment in Samarra.

by O'HARA, John

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Slightly cocked; some effacement and oxidation of gold on spine; else a very good copy in a good to very good jacket with some l
Seller
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Rochester, New York, United States
Item Price
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About This Item

New York:: Harcourt Brace,, [1934].. First edition.. publisher's cloth in dust jacket.. Slightly cocked; some effacement and oxidation of gold on spine; else a very good copy in a good to very good jacket with some light chipping, creasing, and general use and wear; there are several clear tape reinforcements on the jacket verso. . 8vo,.

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.

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Details

Bookseller
Jeffrey H. Marks Rare Books US (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #
63038
Title
Appointment in Samarra.
Author
O'HARA, John
Format/Binding
Publisher's cloth in dust jacket.
Book Condition
Used - Slightly cocked; some effacement and oxidation of gold on spine; else a very good copy in a good to very good jacket with some l
Edition
First edition.
Binding
Hardcover
Publisher
Harcourt Brace,
Place of Publication
New York:
Date Published
[1934].
Pages
301 pp.
Size
8vo,

Terms of Sale

Jeffrey H. Marks Rare Books

All books are returnable within ten days if returned in the same condition as sent. New York residents please add 8% sales tax. All items guaranteed. Members ABAA, ILAB.

About the Seller

Jeffrey H. Marks Rare Books

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2005
Rochester, New York

About Jeffrey H. Marks Rare Books

Specializing in modern first editions since 1978. Fine and rare books in all fields.

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Verso
The page bound on the left side of a book, opposite to the recto page.
Chipping
A defect in which small pieces are missing from the edges; fraying or small pieces of paper missing the edge of a paperback, or...
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...
Jacket
Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
Cloth
"Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...

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