FIRST LOVE AND OTHER SORROWS

New York City, NY: Vintage Contemporaries, 1988. First Edition. First Printing.. Softcover. Fine/No Dust Jacket, As Issued.. New York City, NY: Vintage Contemporaries, 1988. Softcover. Fine/None, As Issued. First Edition/First Printing. 223 pages. The author's breakthrough debut collection of short stories. One of the greatest literary collections of the 20th century. The first appearance of the title in softcover and as a Vintage Contemporaries title. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions, of which there are many. Published in a small and limited first print run as a softcover original only. The First Edition Thus is now rare. Re-presents, in a "keepsake" collectible format, Harold Brodkey's "First Love And Other Sorrows". Still his best, most enduring work. Brodkey's lifelong subject is the "Sturm und Drang" of human relationships, especially sexual relationships. Acutely sensitive, intensely analytical, he writes with "the authority of being on one's knees in front of the event". No matter what the situation, the narrative voice is invariably eloquent and intelligent. Still, the difficulty of writing so nakedly about his autobiographical subject (while cultivating a high literary style) is visible on every Brodkey page, and divides critics and readers to this day. An absolute "must-have" title for Harold Brodkey collectors. This copy is very boldly and beautifully signed in black ink-pen on the title page by Harold Brodkey. It is signed directly on the page itself, not on a tipped-in page. The signature is done vertically, as Brodkey often did almost as a trademark. This title is a great collection. This is one of few such signed copies of the First Edition Thus/First Printing still available online and despite its imperfection (browning on page edges because of the inferior paper used) is still in fine condition overall: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Copies available online have serious flaws, are in multiple subsequent printings, or are remainder-marked. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare signed copy thus. "First Love And Other Sorrows" is regarded by Harold Bloom as one of the canonical titles of the 20th century. One of the greatest writers of the 20th century. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER HAROLD BRODKEY TITLES IN OUR CATALOG). ISBN 0679720758.