MAWRDEW CZGOWCHWZ - Rare Fine Copy of The First Edition Thus/First Printing: Signed by James McCourt - ONLY SIGNED COPY ONLINE

1st Printing. Signed. 210 pages. Published in 2002. New Reissued Edition of the author's breakthrough debut novel. One of the most brilliant novels of the 20th century. The first appearance of the title as an NYRB Classics selection. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent printings. Published in a small and limited first print run as a softcover original only. The First Edition Thus is now scarce. Presents James McCourt's "Mawrdew Czgowchwz". A perfect first novel. Pronounced "Mardu Gorgeous", as helpfully revealed by the publisher about the one American novel that will be a spell test to compete with those unpronounceable Polish names. Introductory Essay by Wayne Koestenbaum, kindred spirit and himself one of the most brilliant writers of our time. The eponymous diva "bursts like the most brilliant of comets onto the international opera scene, only to confront the deadly malice and black magic of her rivals. Outrageous and uproarious, flamboyant and serious as only the most perfect frivolity can be, James McCourt's entrancing send-up of the world of opera has been a cult classic for more than a quarter-century. This comic tribute to the love of art is a triumph of art and love by a contemporary American Master" (New York Review). "Bravo, James McCourt, a literary countertenor in the literary tradition of Firbank and Nabokov" (Susan Sontag). An absolute "must-have" title for James McCourt collectors. This copy is very prominently and beautifully signed in black ink-pen on the title page by James McCourt. It is signed directly on the page itself, not on a tipped-in page. McCourt's signature is as flamboyant, impressive, and artful as his art. This title is a great book. As far as we know, this is the only such signed copy of the NYRB Classics First Edition Thus/First Printing available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: James McCourt is a cult writer (with a uniquely brilliant body of work) who is also a writer's writer. It is a crying shame that mainstream recognition has eluded him because his work represents writing - and reading - as pure pleasure. A rare signed copy thus. James McCourt's "Time Remaining: Stories" is regarded by Harold Bloom as one of the greatest books of the 20th century. One of the finest writers of our time. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER JAMES MCCOURT TITLES IN OUR CATALOG) ISBN 0940322978.