The Sheltering Sky -
Paul Bowles
1949 - John Lehmann, London - First Edition
First edition of Bowles’ most celebrated work, the unravelling of a young, sophisticated and adventurous American couple as they make their way into the Sahara.
‘I suspect that a good many people will read this book and be enthralled by it without once suspecting that it contains a mirror of what is most terrifying and cryptic within the Sahara of moral nihilism, into which the race of man now seems to be wandering blindly’ – Tennessee Williams, The New York Times
‘One of the most original, even visionary, works of fiction to appear in this century’ – Tobias Wolff
‘His art far exceeds that of the greatest American writers of our day’ – Gore Vidal One of only 4000 copies printed. In first state dust jacket, with front flap crediting Fred Uhlman for the dust jacket design and without ‘Evening Standard Book of the Month’ in blue to lower edge.
Adapted into a film in 1990, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and starring Debra Winger and John Malkovich.
Paul Bowles was born in Queens, New York, in 1910. He began his travels as a teenager, setting off for Paris, telling no one of his plans. In 1930 he visited Morocco for the first time, with Aaron Copland, with whom he was studying music. His early reputation was as a composer and he wrote the scores for several Tennessee Williams plays. Bowles married the writer Jane Auer in 1938, and after the war the couple settled in Tangier. In Morocco Bowles turned principally to fiction. The Sheltering Sky—inspired by his travels in the Sahara—was a New York Times bestseller in 1950, and has gone on to sell more than 250,000 copies. It was followed by three further novels, numerous short stories, nonfiction, and translations. Bowles died in Tangier in 1999.
Provenance: Gift inscription ‘Hong Kong Nov 1949’, ‘To Paul from Alice’ to the front free endpaper.
References: Library of America, web.
Octavo (book size 13x20.5cm), pp. 304. Publisher’s blue grey cloth, dark blue spine label lettered in gilt, in original dust jacket designed by Fred Uhlman, and priced ‘10s. 6d. net’ to lower front flap. Condition: Very good, light browning marks to upper board, spine lightly toned with small spot, faint foxing to half-title, in very good dust jacket, gentle wear to spine ends and corners, toning to rear panel which is a little heavier to the spine. Ref: 111852 Price: HK$ 18,000
‘I suspect that a good many people will read this book and be enthralled by it without once suspecting that it contains a mirror of what is most terrifying and cryptic within the Sahara of moral nihilism, into which the race of man now seems to be wandering blindly’ – Tennessee Williams, The New York Times
‘One of the most original, even visionary, works of fiction to appear in this century’ – Tobias Wolff
‘His art far exceeds that of the greatest American writers of our day’ – Gore Vidal One of only 4000 copies printed. In first state dust jacket, with front flap crediting Fred Uhlman for the dust jacket design and without ‘Evening Standard Book of the Month’ in blue to lower edge.
Adapted into a film in 1990, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and starring Debra Winger and John Malkovich.
Paul Bowles was born in Queens, New York, in 1910. He began his travels as a teenager, setting off for Paris, telling no one of his plans. In 1930 he visited Morocco for the first time, with Aaron Copland, with whom he was studying music. His early reputation was as a composer and he wrote the scores for several Tennessee Williams plays. Bowles married the writer Jane Auer in 1938, and after the war the couple settled in Tangier. In Morocco Bowles turned principally to fiction. The Sheltering Sky—inspired by his travels in the Sahara—was a New York Times bestseller in 1950, and has gone on to sell more than 250,000 copies. It was followed by three further novels, numerous short stories, nonfiction, and translations. Bowles died in Tangier in 1999.
Provenance: Gift inscription ‘Hong Kong Nov 1949’, ‘To Paul from Alice’ to the front free endpaper.
References: Library of America, web.
Octavo (book size 13x20.5cm), pp. 304. Publisher’s blue grey cloth, dark blue spine label lettered in gilt, in original dust jacket designed by Fred Uhlman, and priced ‘10s. 6d. net’ to lower front flap. Condition: Very good, light browning marks to upper board, spine lightly toned with small spot, faint foxing to half-title, in very good dust jacket, gentle wear to spine ends and corners, toning to rear panel which is a little heavier to the spine. Ref: 111852 Price: HK$ 18,000