The Invention of Solitude.
SUN, 1982. Item #4324
Perfect bound in pictorial wrappers. Designed by Mary Albanese. Auster's "first full-length prose work," per the back cover, "through which he probes the elusive materials which compose a life." Loosely a memoir, this work predates Auster's celebrated New York Trilogy by five years and is divided into two parts: "Portrait of an Invisible Man" and "The Book of Memory."
Though not stated as such, this copy is from the library of the poet Dick Gallup, and contains a 3 x 5 in. index card with the inscription "Compliments of M. Ron Padgett!" on the verso in Padgett's hand. Padgett and Auster had a long-standing friendship, and Auster would contribute the foreword to Padgett's edited volume, The Collected Writings of Joe Brainard.
A good plus copy. Binding is tight and interior is quite clean, but covers show scratches, toning, and heavy shelf wear, especially at the edges of the spine.
Price: $100.00