Master of the Venomous Tale

Collier, John (1901–1980) ; [Introduction by Anthony Burgess]

The John Collier Reader [Definitive Collection] [1972]

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1972.

The most comprehensive single-volume anthology of John Collier’s uniquely macabre and satirical fiction. 

Famous for his venomous wit and masterfully crafted short stories that often appeared in The New Yorker, Collier occupies a distinct space between traditional fantasy and dark social satire. This collection features the complete novel His Monkey Wife, alongside forty-seven short stories and selections from Milton's Paradise Lost. With an insightful introduction by Anthony Burgess, this volume serves as the essential record of an author whose influence on the weird tale and modern dark humor remains unparalleled.

KEY FEATURES
+++ Content: Includes the full text of the celebrated novel His Monkey Wife, numerous short stories (including "The Chaser" and "Evening Primrose"), and his screenplay treatment of Paradise Lost. 
+++ Introduction: A significant critical essay by Anthony Burgess, contextualizing Collier as a modern master of the English language. 
+++ Binding: Original black cloth with bright gilt titles; front board features a blind-stamped floral/serpentine motif. 
+++ Imprint: Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 1972. Second Printing (issued one month after the first). 
+++ Specs: 9.25 inches tall; xv, 571 pp.

CONDITION: Near Fine / Very Good. 
+++ The Book: Pristine condition; the bindings are tight and square with no lean. Internally clean and bright with only minimal evidence of shelf handling. 
+++ The Jacket: An excellent, unclipped specimen. The white portions of the jacket show light, even age-toning typical of this edition's paper stock. Free of chips, tears, or significant rubbing. Now preserved in a new archival Mylar sleeve.

SCHOLARLY FEATURES
+++ Definitive Stylistic Survey: Serves as a primary reference for Collier’s "fantastical realism," a genre Burgess argues relies on a linguistic precision rare in 20th-century popular fiction.
+++ Thematic Continuity: By pairing the novel His Monkey Wife with his most famous short-form work, the volume allows for a longitudinal study of recurring motifs: the subversion of domesticity, the irony of romantic obsession, and the cruelty of fate.
+++ Cinematic Transition: The inclusion of the Paradise Lost screenplay provides a rare look at Collier’s mid-career move into screenwriting, demonstrating his ability to maintain a poetic, satiric voice within the constraints of dramatic adaptation.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE —
The publication of the Reader in 1972 marked a critical 'Collier Renaissance'. After years of his stories floating in disparate collections and magazines, this Knopf production solidified his status as a writer's writer. Collier’s work—part sophisticated fairy tale, part biting cynical commentary—laid the groundwork for the mid-century 'New Yorker Style' and heavily influenced subsequent generations of speculative fiction writers, including Ray Bradbury and Roald Dahl.
 

SUBJECTS: 20th Century Fiction, Dark Satire, Fantasy & Macabre, John Collier, Short Story Collections, Anthony Burgess. Anthology, Speculative Fiction, Literary Criticism.

Item #21735

Price: $65.00