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First impression of the first American edition - SIGNED and dated by the author in black pen to the title-page: 'Janet Frame, Jan 1970'. "First printing" stated on the publisher's printer's page, as called for. The book was originally published simultaneously in New Zealand by the Pegasus Press and in England by W. H. Allen & Co. ***Very good in grey-green cloth-covered boards with blue-green and white titles to the spine. Head and tail of spine slightly creased. Bottom corners very slightly creased. Light unobtrusive foxing to the fore-edge of the page block. Internally near fine with no inscriptions (other than the author's. Pages clean. Spine tight. ***In a very good illustrated dustwrapper that has not been price-clipped, retaining the original publisher's printed price of $4.95. Head and tail of spine and extremities of dustwrapper slightly rubbed and creased, with slight loss to the surface colour at the tail of the spine. Unobtrusive crease to the middle of the back panel. Slightest hint of fading to the purple spine of dustwrapper. Front panel of dustwrapper bright. ***216mm x 146mm. 277 pages. ***'Janet Paterson Frame ONZ CBE (28 August 1924 - 29 January 2004) was a New Zealand author. She was internationally renowned for her work, which included novels, short stories, poetry, juvenile fiction, and an autobiography, and received numerous awards including being appointed to the Order of New Zealand, New Zealand's highest civil honour. Frame's celebrity derived from her dramatic personal history as well as her literary career. Following years of psychiatric hospitalisation, Frame was scheduled for a lobotomy that was cancelled when, just days before the procedure, her debut publication of short stories was unexpectedly awarded a national literary prize. Many of her novels and short stories explore her childhood and psychiatric hospitalisation from a fictional perspective, and her award-winning three-volume autobiography. ***''Coming upon the novels of Janet Frame for the first time, the casual reader might very well be taken by surprise. He had expected to find another story, "real" character and situations, a not-too-uncomfortabe three-dimensional world. Instead he finds himself in the presence of ancient mysteries (albeit in modern dress), vibrations of other dimensions casting a strange, revelatory life on our everyday existence. Life as myth, life as ritual dance with her partner death. ***What could be more familiar, for instance, more conventional than an old English village like Burgelstatham? (A burgel was originally a burial place of the heathen, Miss Frame tells us.) Or than the people of our story: a dentist and his wife; his brother, a retired clergyman; his son and his son's sweetheart; a countryman of means who yearns for the great open space of Australia; an old widow lady; a milkman and his wife; a farm worker brought over from Italy.--- ***And then Miss Frame touches these people with her poet's wand, this ancient village whose existence is threatened by the "overspill" from London, and things begin to happen. Strange things, frightening things. The air is filled with voices. Unearthly music. Laughter in the wings. The ritual dance begins. Time out of mind. ***Who would think that beneath the placid surface of Burgelstatham there could be such dark mysterious currents, such subterranean creatures? ---Murder, incest in Burgelstatham?' (Quote from inside front and rear of dustwrapper blurb). ***First impression of the first American edition, signed and dated by the author, complete in its original dustwrapper in nice collectable condition. Copies of the American first edition are hard to find in the UK, and it is very rare to find a signed copy. ***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.
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