FUCKING MARTIN

London, England: Chatto & Windus, 1993. First Edition. First Printing.. Softcover. Fine/No Dust Jacket, As Issued.. London, England: Chatto & Windus, 1993. Softcover. Fine/None, As Issued. First Edition/First Printing. 228 pages. The author's breakthrough debut novel. One of the most sensational literary debuts of the last decade of the 20th century. Now considered a contemporary classic. The First British Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions. Published in a small and limited first print run as a softcover original only. The First Edition is now rare. Presents Dale Peck's "Fucking Martin". His still-controversial first novel, and still his best book. Published when he was twenty-five years old, the British Edition retains the original title, which was considered unacceptable at the time (although this was, by then, the end of the 20th century) by his American publisher. Just as the great British novelist Hanif Kureishi's and film director Stephen Frears' "Samie And Rosie Get Laid" (1988) could not find an American distributor until the title was changed to "Samie And Rosie", Dale Peck's astonishing debut could not otherwise be published. Peck's brilliant conceit is the juxtaposition of Art-Imitates-Life ("representation") with Life-Imitates-Art ("artifice"), which are fantasy-inversions of each other rather than reality itself, and indeed hinder one's understanding of reality. John, a male prostitute, embarks on a torrid romance with Martin in the first part of the novel. He then writes stories based upon their brief life together (cut short by Martin's death from AIDS) in the second part. "A new talent with vast ambitions and a voice like an angel chewing on rope and glass" (Michael Cunningham). "The somber lyricism, the fresh conception of form, the profoundly human grasp of character all suggest this touchingly young writer will have a great future" (Edmund White). An absolute "must-have" title for Dale Peck collectors. This copy is very prominently and beautifully signed and dated in black ink-pen on the title page by the author: "Dale Peck 3/6/01". It is signed directly on the page itself, not on a tipped-in page. Peck's signature is one of the most elaborately beautiful we have ever seen. This title is a contemporary classic. This is one of few such signed and dated copies of the true First Edition/First Printing (British) still available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Copies available online have serious flaws, are subsequent printings, or are remainder-marked. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare signed copy thus. One of the most brilliant new voices of American literature. A fine copy. . ISBN 0701156732.