As I Lay Dying.
by FAULKNER, William
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- Near fine in a jacket with a shallow chip at the top of the spine (affecting no printing) and a light coin-sized dampstain at th
- Seller
-
Rochester, New York, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York:: Jonathan Cape: Harrison Smith,, [1930].. First edition, first issue of text and binding.. original buff cloth in dust jacket.. Near fine in a jacket with a shallow chip at the top of the spine (affecting no printing) and a light coin-sized dampstain at the bottom of the spine.. 12mo,.
Synopsis
William Faulkner claimed to have written As I Lay Dying, his fifth novel, in just six weeks — with very little revision — while working at power plant in 1929. While this sounds impressive in and of itself, also consider the fact that this novel has 15 different narrators throughout its 59 chapters and has consistently been recognized as one of the greatest works of the American literature. As I Lay Dying is the first book in which Faulkner introduces Yoknapatawpha County, a fictional rendition of his native Lafayette County, Mississippi, which became the setting for some of his best-known works. The author’s self-described “tour de force” follows the death of Addie Bundren and her family’s various notions regarding her burial requests and their journey to Jefferson, in the heart of the county, to fulfill them. Poverty, bad weather, injury, and pregnancy are just some of the hindrances faced along the way. Fittingly, the title of the novel comes from a line in Homer’s The Odyssey: “As I lay dying, the woman with the dog's eyes would not close my eyes as I descended into Hades.” Along with The Sound and the Fury, As I Lay Dying helped to secured Faulkner’s stance as a pioneer of the stream-of-consciousness technique, joining the ranks with James Joyce and Virginia Woolf. In vernacular that echoes Mark Twain, the characters of the novel are able to develop gradually through the perceptions of others. Though this requires readers to take an active part in constructing the story, it also allows for multiple, and sometimes, conflicting interpretations. Faulkner was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1949 for his novels prior to that date, which includes As I Lay Dying. The novel has also directly influenced a number of other critically acclaimed books, including Graham Swift’s Booker prize-winning novel Last Orders and Suzan-Lori Parks’ Getting Mother’s Body, an African-American retelling of the story. As I Lay Dying is ranked 35th on Modern Library’s “100 Best” English-language novels of the 20th century and 55th on The Guardian’s list of the 100 best novels. The Grammy-nominated metalcore band As I Lay Dying derived its name from this book as well. In 2014, writer/director James Franco released a film adaptation of the novel.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Jeffrey H. Marks Rare Books
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 23530
- Title
- As I Lay Dying.
- Author
- FAULKNER, William
- Format/Binding
- Original buff cloth in dust jacket.
- Book Condition
- Used - Near fine in a jacket with a shallow chip at the top of the spine (affecting no printing) and a light coin-sized dampstain at th
- Edition
- First edition, first issue of text and binding.
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- Jonathan Cape: Harrison Smith,
- Place of Publication
- New York:
- Date Published
- [1930].
- Pages
- 254 pp.
- Size
- 12mo,
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
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:
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- 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....
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- 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...
- 12mo
- A duodecimo is a book approximately 7 by 4.5 inches in size, or similar in size to a contemporary mass market paperback. Also...
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