The 158-Pound Marriage
by Irving, John
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
CHESTER, Connecticut, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: Random House, 1974. First edition. Cloth backed boards, trifle foxing on top edge, otherwise fine in fine dust jacket.
Synopsis
The 158-Pound Marriage, author John Irving's third published novel, revolves around an unidentified narrator, a college professor, and a mediocre novelist. The narrator met his wife Utch, an orphaned survivor of WWII, in Vienna while doing research. They are a relatively happy couple; their family rounded out by two children. At a faculty party, they meet Severin Winter, a Viennese-born professor and coach of the college wrestling team, and his wife, Edith. The couple's interests (Edith is an aspiring fiction writer, and Severin has a commonality with Utch's upbringing in Austria) and resulting infatuations between the couples lead to after-dinner partner-swapping. At first, the swinging goes smoothly, but eventually, uneven feelings and obsessions throw the couples off track. The title, The 158-Pound Marriage , refers to the 158-pound weight class in wrestling, which Severin, the coach, feels is the most competitive. The book is small, only 176 pages, compared to Irving's later weighty tomes, like the 610 page The World According to Garp ( 1978) and The Cider House Rules (1985), which is 973 pages.
Read More: Identifying first editions of The 158-Pound Marriage
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- Thomas A Goldwasser Rare Books
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 30129
- Title
- The 158-Pound Marriage
- Author
- Irving, John
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First edition
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- Random House
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 1974
- Keywords
- , ENGLISH AND AMERICAN LITERATURE, , ,
Terms of Sale
Thomas A Goldwasser Rare Books
We accept checks (U.S. funds on a U.S. bank only), money orders, wire transfers (please contact us for details), major credit cards, Paypal. Libraries and known customers may be billed. All items are guaranteed to be as described. Member, Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America, International League of Antiquarian Booksellers, Professional Autograph Dealers Association.
About the Seller
Thomas A Goldwasser Rare Books
Biblio member since 2005
CHESTER, Connecticut
About Thomas A Goldwasser Rare Books
Specialized dealer in rare books and manuscripts, since 1975.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
Frequently asked questions
This Book’s Categories
What is a first edition?
Even if you’re only peripherally aware of book collecting, you’ve doubtless heard the term, first edition, bandied about but you may still be in the dark as to what makes them such a big deal. Learn about first editions and why collectors value them here.
Collecting the Harlem Renaissance
One of the most influential - and certainly most iconic - cultural revolutions in American history, the Harlem Renaissance offers a compelling repertoire for both seasoned and novice book collectors. We’ve put together a beautiful gallery of high points to help start your collection here.
