ALBERT ANGELO [First edition]

B. S. Johnson

Published by Constable, London, 1964

About this Item

First impression of the true first edition. Jacket design by Philip Thompson. B. S. Johnson's scarce second experimental novel. ***Very good in black cloth-covered boards with gilt titles to the spine. The gilt is still nice and bright. Boards clean and unmarked. Head of spine just slightly creased. Corners sharp. Top edge of page block is darkened. Internally very good with no creases or tears. Pages clean. With a neat ownership name 'G. Nolan' in ink and a 10/6 price in pencil to the front free endpaper. Spine tight. ***In a very good colour illustrated dustwrapper that has not been price-clipped, retaining the original publisher's printed price of 21s net. The dustwrapper is complete, but there is a small tear and hole to the spine of the dustwrapper, not affecting any of the printed titles. The spine of the dustwrapper is also darkened. There is some rubbling and surface loss to the extremities, and some darkening of the folded edges, but no tears or chips. [Please see scans]. ***180 pages. 205mm x 132 mm. ***The second novel by the experimental twentieth-century novelist B. S. Johnson. The novel has five parts: Prologue; Exposition; Development; Disintegration; Coda. ***The book has holes deliberately cut into its pages as an experimental narrative technique, to enable the reader to find out what is going to happen in advance. The novel is autobiographical, and innovative in its writing style, switching from first-person narrative to third-person commentary, and often enters into a stream-of-consciousness interior monologue. ***'Albert Angelo is the second novel written by the experimental novelist B. S. Johnson (1933 -1973). Published in 1964 by Constable (and reissued in 1987 by New Directions), the book achieved fame for having holes cut in several pages as a narrative technique. It is written in an unusual and pioneering style, frequently changing from first-person narrative to third-person commentary, and often descending into stream-of-consciousness interior monologue. Like many of Johnson's novels it is an auto-biographical work. As mentioned, the book is written in an unorthodox style. This is typical of Johnson, though it is not uniform throughout his books. "Albert Angelo" is divided into several parts, ending with a coda, normally used in musical score. Several of the pages have holes cut into them, allowing the reader to glimpse events further ahead in the story. The book closes with an intervention by the author, explaining what he was trying to achieve in writing it. In this section is Johnson's unshakeable belief recorded - "Telling stories is telling lies."' ***'Bryan Stanley William Johnson (5 Feb 1933 - 13 Nov 1973) was an English experimental novelist, poet and literary critic. He also produced television programmes and made films. Johnson became depressed by his failure to succeed commercially and by mounting family problems. On 13 Nov 1973, aged 40, he took his own life. Johnson's following at the time of his death was small if enthusiastic, but he quickly acquired a posthumous cult following, helped by a critically acclaimed film adaptation in 2000 of the last novel of his to appear in his lifetime, "Christie Malry's Own Double-Entry."' [Wiki] ***First impression of the true first edition of B. S. Johnson's second novel - extremely hard to find now. Of interest to collectors of B. S. Johnson first edition titles. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc. Seller Inventory # 7493x

Bibliographic Details

Title: ALBERT ANGELO [First edition]

Publisher: Constable, London

Publication Date: 1964

Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: Philip Thompson [Jacket design]

Condition: Very Good

Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good

Edition: First Edition