DESERT

London, England: Atlantic Books, 2010. First Edition. First Printing.. Hardcover. As New/As New Dust Jacket.. London, England: Atlantic Books, 2010. Hardcover. As New/As New. First Edition/First Printing. 352 pages. The author's masterpiece. One of the greatest novels of the 20th century. The first appearance of the title in the United Kingdom. Should not be confused with all other editions, particularly the Softcover Edition, which was published simultaneously with it. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original. The First Edition is now scarce. Presents J. M. G. Le Clezio's "Desert" in a felicitous English translation. Published for the very first time in English translation, more than thirty years after its publication in the French original. Singled out by the Nobel Committee as his greatest work, it is "composed of two alternating narratives, set in counterpoint. The first takes place in the desert between 1909 and 1912 and evokes the migration of a young adolescent boy, Nour, and his people, the Blue Men, notorious warriors of the desert. Spurred on by thirst, hunger, and suffering, Nour's tribe and others flee northward in the hopes of finding a land that can harbor them at last. The second narrative relates the contemporary story of Lalla, a descendant of the Blue Men. Lalla must flee to escape a forced marriage with an older wealthy man. She travels to France, undergoing many trials there, from working in a brothel to success as a highly paid fashion model, but she never betrays the blood of her ancestors" (Publisher's blurb) . "A conjurer who tried to lift words above the degenerate state of everyday speech and to restore them the power to invoke an essential reality" (Nobel Prize Citation) . An absolute "must-have" title for J. M. G. Le Clezio collectors. This copy is very prominently and beautifully signed and dated (shortly after publication) in black ink-pen on the title page by the author: "J. M. G. Le Clezio 3/11/2010". It is signed directly on the page itself, not on a tipped-in page. This title is a great book. This is one of few such signed and publication-year dated copies of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing (British) still available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Le Clezio rarely does public signings, this being one of them. He inexplicably did not sign for the American Edition. Signed copies of his books available online command thousands of dollars. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare signed copy thus. Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2008. One of the greatest writers of our time. A fine collectible copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER J. M. G. LE CLEZIO TITLES IN OUR CATALOG). ISBN 1848873794.