Year Before Last (Crosscurrents/Modern Fiction)

Kay Boyle (author)|Harry T. Moore (editor)

ISBN 10: 0809303906 / ISBN 13: 9780809303908

Published by Southern Illinois University Press, 1969

About this Item

A Signed Modernist Masterpiece. Immerse yourself in the emotionally charged landscape of the French Riviera with this exquisite edition of Kay Boyle?s Year Before Last. Originally published in 1932, this volume was reissued as part of the prestigious Crosscurrents/Modern Fiction series edited by Harry T. Moore. Boyle, a crucial figure of the "Lost Generation" in Paris, delivers a semi-autographical, luminous narrative exploring the complexities of love, art, and illness. Authentic Signature: Personally signed by the author, Kay Boyle, on the title page. Signed copies of her mid-century uniform editions are highly prized by collectors of modernism. The Critique: Features a vital textual analysis and introduction, making this the definitive edition for scholars studying expatriate avant-garde literature. Condition: Dust Jacket: Present and vibrant. Shows some light chipping and shelf wear along the extremities, but remains whole and striking. Binding: Bound in nice blue cloth boards that have been well-protected by the jacket. Spine and boards are firm, though the corners are lightly bumped and edges are lightly rubbed. Interior: The text block is completely clean and tightly bound. There is some light, natural foxing along the page edges, adding an authentic vintage patina. A remarkable presentation copy of a modernist classic, bridging the gap between historical romance and the stark realities of the interwar avant-garde.

Seller Inventory # VV806

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Year Before Last (Crosscurrents/Modern Fiction)
• Publisher: Southern Illinois University Press
• Publication Date: 1969
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0809303906
• ISBN 13: 9780809303908
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Good
• Weight: 1 pound
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)

About this title

Synopsis

Kay Boyle’s second novel, Year Before Last,was published in 1932 by Harrison Smith in New York and by Faber and Faber in London, in each case a true edition from different settings of type. Matthew J. Bruccoli, the textual editor of the Cross­currents/Modern Fiction series, has used the Harrison Smith edition in preparing this volume which is unique in the annals of textual editing of a modern novel because the emendations in the copy-text have been approved by the author. Harry T. Moore has provided a Preface which considers this work in relation to Miss Boyle’s development as a novelist. Mr. Bruccoli’s Note on the Text provides information about both the 1932 editions and lists the emendations.

 

Against the background of the French Riviera we watch the unfolding of the story of a young woman who has left her husband for another man, a poet of compelling personality. Their love affair is complicated by the insane jealousy of an older woman which leads them to acts of desperation. This novel of love and hate moves forward in swift incident and action to a dramatic end.