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Already Dead: A California Gothic

Already Dead: A California Gothic Paperback - 1998

by Johnson, Denis

  • Used
  • Paperback

Nelson Fairchild has a thriving marijuana business in California's lush redwood country. But he may lose land, cash, and crop in a divorce settlement. Needing quick cash, Nelson agreed to smuggle $90,000 worth of cocaine through customs for drug dealer Harry Lally. But Nelson chickened out and flushed the powder. Now, Lally wants him dead. This is award-winning writer Denis Johnson's biggest and most complex novel yet.

Description

Harper Perennial, 1998-05-19 Cover Discolored. See our Terms of Sale for a detailed description of condition notes. Paperback. Used - Very Good.
Used - Very Good
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Details

  • Title Already Dead: A California Gothic
  • Author Johnson, Denis
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition 1st, First Editi
  • Condition Used - Very Good
  • Pages 448
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Harper Perennial, New York
  • Date 1998-05-19 Cover Discolored. See
  • Bookseller's Inventory # 343PM60V_44b32b35-85d2-4
  • ISBN 9780060929091 / 006092909X
  • Weight 0.73 lbs (0.33 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.02 x 5.44 x 1.08 in (20.37 x 13.82 x 2.74 cm)
  • Themes
    • Cultural Region: Western U.S.
    • Cultural Region: West Coast
    • Geographic Orientation: California
    • Topical: Family
  • Library of Congress subjects Adventure fiction, Drug traffic
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

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Estate Books is pleased to offer the collection of the late Robert A. Warden, who collected over 18,000 books, many preserved in as new condition. Mr. Warden collected a variety of fiction and non-fiction works, but most often was found reading a good mystery.

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All books we offer have been cleaned and individually inspected for quality.

The following describes the types of wear often noticed on used books:
Cover Wear
Cover Chips/Abrasions - At fine level or below, may indicate 1-2 chips of about 2mm on the edge of the cover. At very good level, may indicate several chips/abrasions along the edge of the cover or 1-2 chips in the body of the cover. There may be also light indentations in the cover.
Cover Crease - At fine level or below, may indicate a dust jacket is not flush against the book, 1-2 barely perceptible crimps on the inside flap of the dust jacket, or small crimps following the curve of the spine. At very good level or below, may indicate 1-2 creases in the cover less than 1/2in from the edge of the book. At good level or below, may indicate larger or multiple creases or crimps on the cover.
Cover Tear - At good level, may indicate a tear or cut up to 1/2in from the edge of the cover. At acceptable level, may indicate a larger tear as long as the cover is substantially intact.
Cover Discoloration - At fine level, may indicate barely perceptible residual price label adhesive. At very good level or below, may indicate the cover is discolored due to sunlight/aging, mild staining, or residual label adhesive.
Cover Scratches - At fine level or below, indicates barely perceptible scratches in the dust jacket or cover. At very good level or below, may indicate a small number of visible scratches or more generally scratched appearance.
Cover Rubbing - At fine level or below, indicates rubbing of the dust jacket or cover resulting in a "dusty" or slightly discolored appearance, particularly near the back cover board seam.
Cover Peeling - At very good level or below, indicates the edge of the cover laminate is peeling, making the laminate visible with a tape-like appearance.

Edge/Spine Wear
Spine Wear - At very good level or below, indicates a crease on the spine suggesting the book has been read. At good level or below, this may indicate a curvature to the spine, suggesting the book has been left open for some time.

Page Wear
Page Crimping - At very good level or below, indicates a small number of pages may have been crimped and then flattened. At good level or below, an area up to 1/4in from the edge of some pages may be crimped, abraded, or dog-eared.
Page Discoloration - At very good level or below, indicates the edge of some pages may be discolored from sunlight/aging or small stains. At good level, the inside cover pages may have small stains. At acceptable level, content pages may have stains around the page edges.
Pages Cut - At good level or below, indicates an area up to 1/8in from the edge of some pages may be cut or torn, provided all of the text and content is still readable.
Pages Uncut - At very good level or below, indicates some pages may have not been cleanly cut by the publisher.

Used Markings
Remainder Marking - At condition level fine or below, there may be a black or red mark on the edge of the pages indicating it is used. At condition level very good or below, there may be a marking on the inside or rear cover barcode.
Store Marking - At condition level very good or below, this may indicate a hand-written price on the inside cover. At condition level good or below, this may indicate a stamp on the inside cover or edge of the pages indicating it was purchased form a used book store. There may be a price tag on the rear cover which is difficult to remove without damaging the cover.
Library Markings - At condition level good or below, this may indicate the book has stamps or stickers on the outside and/or inside cover and/or page edges, indicating the book was formerly property of a school or public library. The cover may be partially or fully laminated. There may be a card holder attached to record check-out records.
Owner Markings - At condition level good or below, indicates a prior owner may have written their name or brief note on the inside cover. In rare cases, the owner may have laminated the book.
Page Writing - At acceptable level, indicates writing or highlighting on the content pages.

Dust Jacket Notes
No Jacket - At condition level very good or below, indicates a hardcover book missing its dust jacket.
Dust Jacket Damage - At condition level very good or below, indicates a torn or otherwise damaged dust jacket, which would otherwise result in a reduced condition grade. The dust jacket is provided for completeness and may be discarded by the purchaser.
Irrespective of wear, we expect each book sold to be pleasant to read.

Autographed books have been personally signed by the author.

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First line

"Van Ness felt a gladness and wonder as he drove past the small isolated towns along U.S. 101 in Northern California, a certain interest, a yearning, because he sensed they were places a person could disappear into."

From the rear cover

A contemporary noir, Already Dead is the tangled story of Nelson Fairchild Jr., disenfranchised scion to a northern California land fortune. A relentless failure, Nelson has botched nearly every scheme he's attempted to pull off. Now his future lies in a potentially profitable marijuana patch hidden in the lush old-growth redwoods on the family land.

Nelson has some serious problems. His marriage has fallen apart, and he may lose his land, cash and crop in the divorce. What's more, in need of some quick cash, he had foolishly agreed to smuggle $90,000 worth of cocaine through customs for Harry Lally, a major player in a drug syndicate. Chickening out just before bringing the drugs through, he flushed the powder. Now Lally wants him dead, and two goons are hot on his trail. Desperate, terrified and alone, for Nelson, there may be only one way out.

This is Denis Johnson's biggest and most complex book to date, and it perfectly showcases his signature themes of fate, redemption and the unraveling of the fabric of today's society. Already Dead, with its masterful narrative of overlapping and entwined stories, will further fuel the acclaim that surrounds one of today's most fascinating writers.

Categories

Media reviews

Citations

  • New York Times, 07/05/1998, Page 20