The City of the Discreet. Hardcover - 1917

New York, NY Alfred A. Knopf: Borzoi Books, 1917. Hardcover First Edition USA (1917), unstated, but implied: no subsequent printings noted and same date at the title and copyright pages, in accordance with Alfred A. Knopf's customary practice at the time of publication. First Edition USA (1917), unstated, but implied: no subsequent printings noted and same date at the title and copyright pages, in accordance with Alfred A. Knopf's customary practice at the time of publication. Very Good+: shows light wear to the extremities; several small smudges to the yellow-tinted top edge of the text block, which also shows mild dusting as well; the backstrip has been very slightly dust-dulled (the yellow titles thereon, though muted very slightly, remain easily legible); a small spot of paint at the heel of the backstrip; the expected light tanning to the text pages due to aging; former owner's name inscribed in ink at the top of the front free endpaper; the binding is square and secure; the text is clean. Free of any creased or dog-eared pages in the text. Free of any underlining, hi-lighting or marginalia or marks in the text. A handsome copy, structurally sound and tightly bound, showing very mild wear and minor, unobtrusive cosmetic flaws. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 8vo. (7.65 x 5.25 x 1.2 inches). 356 pages. Translated by Jacog S. Fassett, Jr. Language: English. Weight: 15.2 ounces. Blue cloth over boards with yellow titles and designs at the front panel and backstrip. Decorated Endpapers. A lovely llttle volume. Hardback: Lacks DJ. Pío Baroja y Nessi (1872 –1956) was one of the key novelists of the Generation of '98. He was a member of an illustrious family. His brother Ricardo was a painter, writer and engraver, and his nephew Julio Caro Baroja, son of his younger sister Carmen, was a well-known anthropologist. Pío was born in San Sebastian, Guipuzcoa, the son of Serafin Baroja, also a noted writer and opera librettist. Baroja's first novel, La casa de Aizgorri (The House of Aizgorri, 1900), is part of a trilogy called La Tierra Vasca (The Basque Country, 1900–1909). This trilogy also includes El Mayorazgo de Labraz (The Lord of Labraz, 1903), which became one of his most popular novels in Spain. Baroja is best known internationally for another trilogy, La lucha por la vida (The Struggle for Life, 1922–1924: The Quest, Weeds, and Red Dawn), which offers a vivid depiction of life in Madrid's slums. John Dos Passos, among others, greatly admired these works. In keeping with the dominant Spanish literary tradition, Baroja often wrote in a pessimistic, picaresque style. His deft portrayal of the characters and settings brought the Basque region to life much as Benito Pérez Galdós' works offered an insight into Madrid. Baroja's works were often lively but could be lacking in plot. They are written in an abrupt, vivid, yet impersonal style. Ernest Hemingway was greatly influenced by Baroja and told him when he visited him in October 1956, "Allow me to pay this small tribute to you who taught so much to those of us who wanted to be writers when we were young. I deplore the fact that you have not yet received a Nobel Prize, especially when it was given to so many who deserved it less, like me, who am only an adventurer."