VERTIGO

New York City, NY: New Directions, 2000. First Edition. First Printing.. Hardcover. Fine/Fine Dust Jacket.. New York City, NY: New Directions, 2000. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. First Edition/First Printing. 263 pages. The author's debut novel. One of W. G. Sebald's finest achievements. The first appearance of the title in English and in the United States. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only. The First Edition is now scarce. Presents W. G. Sebald's "Vertigo" in Michael Hulse's acclaimed English translation. A "spell-binding blend of personal narrative, investigation, fiction, history, and travel writing". The most celebrated of the four narratives is devoted to Kafka (Stendhal and Casanova also appear) . The great German expatriate writer conflated, transformed, and transcended various literary genres to create his one-of-a-kind novels. In addition, Sebald's innovative and brilliant insertion of ambiguous photographs throughout the text, his application of Roland Barthes' "photograph-as-punctuation" mandate, is first deployed here. "So stunning and strange, like a dream you want to last forever" (The New York Times) . Sebald was not a prolific author, but each of his four novels is a masterpiece. W. G. Sebald's soaring literary career was abruptly cut short by his violent death in a car accident in 2001, a premature and tragic loss to world literature. An absolute "must-have" title for W. G. Sebald collectors. This title is a great book. This is one of few copies of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing (American) still available online and despite its imperfection (a tiny pinch on a bottom board corner, but it's there) is still in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Copies available online have serious flaws, are in multiple subsequent printings, or are remainder-marked. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A scarce copy thus. One of the greatest writers of the 20th century. A fine collectible copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER W. G. SEBALD TITLES IN OUR CATALOG). ISBN 0811214303.