Mantissa - John Fowles - First Edition/First Printing - 1982 - VG Jacket

John Fowles

Published by Little, Brown and Company, 1982

About this Item

A clean and attractive First Edition/First Printing of John Fowles's metafictional novel Mantissa, published by Little, Brown in 1982. Fowles here playfully interrogates the relationship between writer and muse, weaving philosophy, desire, and literary self-awareness into an inventive dialogue-driven narrative. Bound in green cloth with bright gilt spine lettering, the book remains Near Fine, with a tight, square binding and notably clean interior pages - an unusually well-preserved example of this title. The dust jacket is Very Good, price-intact at $13.95, showing the expected uniform toning and light rubbing along the spine and edges but free of chips or major tears. The copyright page carries the publisher's 'FIRST EDITION' statement, and the absence of a number line matches Little, Brown's correct first-printing practice for this period. All bibliographic points, including colophon layout, align with verified first-issue copies. Altogether, this is a strong, collectible first printing of one of Fowles's most experimental later works, blending imaginative fiction with philosophical inquiry. John Fowles (1926-2005) was a major British novelist whose intellectually rich and stylistically innovative works including The Collector, The Magus, The French Lieutenant's Woman, and others helped define postwar literary experimentation. His writing often blends philosophy, metafiction, and psychological depth, challenging readers to question identity, authorship, and narrative form. Mantissa represents one of his most explicitly self-reflexive meditations on creativity.

Seller Inventory # F.FOW.1982.1

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Mantissa - John Fowles - First Edition/First Printing - 1982 - VG Jacket
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
• Publication Date: 1982
• Language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Jacket Design by Char Lappan
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Printing: 1st Printing
• Condition: Near Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • Art
  • Fiction