Top 10 AbeBooks sales from October 2012
Once again the top 10 most expensive sales on AbeBooks has produced a combination of antiquarian rarities and sought after 20th century first editions including one of the most contentious books of the modern age, The Satanic Verses.
A rare limited edition of Salman Rushdie’s 1988 novel sold for almost $13,000 during October. The book needs little introduction. It sparked protests from Muslims who interpreted the story as blasphemous to Islam. The novel was banned in a number of countries. On 14 February 1989, Ayatollah Khomeini, the Supreme Leader of Iran, issued a fatwā against Rushdie, calling for his death, and the issue escalated with the UK and Iran ceasing formal diplomatic relations.
Technically the threat on Rushdie’s life still stands. Today, the story behind The Satanic Verses is once again in the news as the author recently released a memoir recounting his life in hiding. Rushdie’s account is called Joseph Anton – his secret alias and the combination of two of his favorite authors, Joseph Conrad and Anton Chekhov.
See the rest of October’s Most Expensive Sales on AbeBooks
Categories: antiquarian, books, lists