A Wild Sheep Chase: A Novel - Hardcover

A WILD SHEEP CHASE (First edition in English - with the scarce wraparound band + publisher's inserts)

Hardcover. Zustand: Near Fine. Zustand des Schutzumschlags: Near Fine. First American Edtion. First impression of the first American edition. Translated from the Japanese by Alfred Birnbaum. Stated First American Edition. ***The American edition is the first edition in English, originally published in Japan by Kodansha Ltd., Tokyo in 1982 as "Hitsuji o meguru boken (literally "An Adventure Surrounding Sheep"). Published as an independent sequel to "Pinball, 1973", and the third book in the so-called 'Trilogy of the Rat'. Winner of the 1982 Noma Literary Newcomer's Prize. ***Near fine in purple paper-covered boards over a bright-green cloth-covered spine, with silver titles. The titles are still nice and bright. Head and tail of spine just very slightly creased. Boards clean and unmarked, with just a little fading to the purple colour at the extremities. Page block edges also nice and clean, including the fore-edge. No reading lean to the binding. Spine tight. Internally also near fine, with no inscriptions. No tears or creases, and the paper remains clean and white. ***In a near fine illustrated dustwrapper, which has not been price-clipped, retaining the original publisher's printed price of $18.95. The dustwrapper is complete with hardly any faults. The top and tail of the dustwrapper are slightly creased. The dustwrapper would be fine except for some fading to the dark-blue colour on the spine and at the top edge of the front panel. Dustwrapper nevertheless bright. ***In addition, the dustwrapper retains the Japanese wraparound band which was included for publicity purposes when the book was first published in the USA. The book also comes with the original Kodansha Fiction Pamphlet and Wild Sheep Chase Postcard. There are also a couple of photocopied newspaper articles from the period when the book was published in 1989. (Please see scans) ***235mm x 160mm. 299 pages. ***'While the original story of "A Wild Sheep Chase" was set in the 1970s, translator Alfred Birnbaum and Kodansha editor Elmer Luke wanted a story that was more contemporary and also appealed to American readers. In the novel, Murakami blends elements of American and English literature with Japanese contexts, exploring post-WWII Japanese cultural identity. The book is part mystery and part magical realism with a postmodern twist. The book is the third in Murakami's '"The Rat" Trilogy', preceded by "Hear the Wind Sing" and "Pinball, 1973". All three books follow the sometimes surreal adventures of an unnamed first-person narrator and his friend, nicknamed 'The Rat'. All three novels begin from or refer back to November 25, 1970, the day on which Japanese author, poet, playwright and right-wing activist Yukio Mishima committed seppuku following a failed coup attempt at the headquarters of Japan's Self Defense Forces. Some Japanese critics have speculated that "A Wild Sheep Chase" is a rewriting or parody of Mishima's The Adventure of Natsuko. "A Wild Sheep Chase" has been described as "a postmodern detective novel in which dreams, hallucinations and a wild imagination are more important than actual clues.' (Wiki) ***First impression of the first American edition - the first edition in English translation, in the original dustwrapper. With the additional benefit of having the original (and uncommon) Japanese wraparound band, and the publisher's inserts, as well as a couple of loosely inserted photocopies of period newspaper articles. Of interest to collectors of the work of Haruki Murakami. Uncommon in first edition, and particularly hard to find with these additional attributes. A real collector's 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. Artikel-Nr. 7957z

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