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Lord of the Flies - E M Forster's Copy with original hand-written letter from Golding

Lord of the Flies - E M Forster's Copy with original hand-written letter from Golding

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Lord of the Flies - E M Forster's Copy with original hand-written letter from Golding

by Golding, William

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
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Seller
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 3 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Harrogate, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Item Price
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About This Item

London: Faber, 1954. A first edition, first printing published by Faber in 1954. A fine book with just a little toning to the pages. White titles on red cloth very clear and bright. No inscriptions. In a very good clipped wrapper with some light internal reinforcement to the spine. Spine browned, with a little wear to the extremities. Accompanied by the rare wrap-around band. In a custom-made clamshell box with titles. E. M Forster's own copy, with his book label. Much of Forster's library was sold when the author moved from his family home at West Hackhurst in Abinger Hammer, Surrey in 1946. After taking residence in Kings College Cambridge (with a much reduced library), he continued to give books away as he acquired new ones. Most of his final was sold in 1971 by Heffer and Sons. There were many first edition copies in this, but not this particular copy. Forster was pivotal to the success of 'Lord of the Flies', talking Faber into taking on the unknown writer. It was slow to sell, but with Forster's naming it 'outstanding novel of the year', the book has since gone on to sell over 10 million copies worldwide. Faber produced the E. M. Forster's choice band after the first copies had sold out (before being reprinted). Such bands are scarce now and not mentioned in the bibliography. Accompanying the book is an original hand-written letter from Golding to a Mr Heffner in response to a letter from Heffner. Dated 2nd January 1968, the letter (rather delightfully) reads, 'Dear Mr Heffner, Lord Of The Flies went to a number of publishers before Faber took it. I can't remember how man. I've had no similar trouble since, Yours Sincerely, William Golding'. A superb association and a beautiful letter making a rare package for the Golding collector.

Synopsis

  Even though Lord of the Flies is a frequent submission on any banned books list, many high school students are first introduced to this classic piece of literature in their freshman English class. Using very young protagonists set in a harsh, wild environment, author William Golding's disturbing and engaging novel addresses the themes of human nature and personal welfare, often resulting in violence and murder. Despite its controversial subject matter, it is often considered one of the best novels of the 20th Century. Lord of the Flies turned Golding into a household name, and although Lord of the Flies was his most popular book, he remained a successful author long after its publication. In fact, Golding was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983, where he remarked that he sought to “...illuminate the human condition in the world of today” through his novels. Published in 1954 in London by Faber and Faber,  Lord of the Flies  has sold over millions of copies worldwide. It has been translated into many languages, including Basque and Catalan. Evidently, even though the book focuses on the trials and tribulations of twelve young boys, the themes and archetypes resonate with all readers. 

Read More: Identifying first editions of Lord of the Flies - E M Forster's Copy with original hand-written letter from Golding

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Details

Bookseller
John Atkinson Books GB (GB)
Bookseller's Inventory #
10494
Title
Lord of the Flies - E M Forster's Copy with original hand-written letter from Golding
Author
Golding, William
Book Condition
Used
Quantity Available
1
Binding
Hardcover
Publisher
Faber
Place of Publication
London
Date Published
1954
Weight
0.00 lbs

Terms of Sale

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About the Seller

John Atkinson Books

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 3 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2008
Harrogate, North Yorkshire

About John Atkinson Books

Offering rare and unique signed books not available elsewhere with constant changes in stock. Our showroom holds 100 rare first editions

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

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....
Fine
A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
Cloth
"Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
New
A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
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...
Clamshell Box
A protective box designed for storing and preserving a bound book or loose sheets. A clamshell box is hinged on one side, with...

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