MODERNIST DESPAIR

West, Nathanael (1903–1940)

Miss Lonelyhearts [First Edition Library Facsimile]

New York: Liveright, Inc., Publishers. Facsimile edition issued by the First Edition Library.

A MODERNIST CLASSIC OF AMERICAN FICTION.
Nathanael West’s Miss Lonelyhearts is one of the defining novels of American modernism, a darkly comic and deeply unsettling examination of alienation, failed compassion, and the search for meaning in Depression-era America.

Originally published in 1933 by Liveright, the novel follows a newspaper advice columnist overwhelmed by the suffering contained in the letters he receives. West’s compressed style, bitter humor, and symbolic intensity established the work as a landmark of twentieth-century American literature.

FAITHFUL FIRST EDITION REPRODUCTION: This First Edition Library facsimile recreates the appearance of the original Liveright edition, including the distinctive dust jacket design and typography. While not a first edition, it provides collectors and readers an attractive presentation copy of an important American novel.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS: Octavo, approximately 8 inches tall. Bound in blue cloth-covered boards with gilt spine lettering. Illustrated dust jacket reproducing the original Liveright design featuring the typewriter motif. 

CONDITION: Fine in a fine dust jacket. The binding is clean and square with bright lettering. The text block is clean and crisp. The dust jacket remains bright and attractive with only minimal shelf handling. A very presentable gift-quality copy.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: A NOVEL OF SATIRE AND SPIRITUAL CRISIS.
 Nathanael West’s Miss Lonelyhearts has become one of the most influential short novels of the American modernist period. Its combination of satire, psychological intensity, and religious imagery helped establish West’s reputation alongside writers who transformed American fiction during the 1920s and 1930s.

The First Edition Library series was created to provide faithful reproductions of significant first editions, preserving the visual character of important books for collectors unable to obtain original copies.

SUBJECTS: Nathanael West, American Modernism, Satire, Depression Era Fiction, Twentieth-Century Literature, Modern Literature, American Literature, Modernist Fiction, Literary Fiction.

Item #22373

Price: $125.00