Absalom, Absalom! by Faulkner, William - 1936

New York: Random House, 1936 First edition, limited issue of 300 numbered copies. Signed by Faulkner on the limitation page. Publisher's white paper boards and green cloth, with decorative patterns to the boards in gold and green, spine lettered in gilt, top edge gilt, with a two-color folding map of Jefferson and Yoknapatawpha Country at the rear. Near fine, with some light soiling and minor toning to the spine, light adhesive residue to the free endpapers, else fine. A bright and pleasing copy. Petersen A18.2a. Absalom, Absalom! is a Southern Gothic novel. Like many of his works, it is set in Jefferson, the seat of the fictional Yoknapatawpha County in Mississippi, based on Faulkner's childhood experiences in Oxford. Specifically, this novel tells the story of Thomas Stupen and his family before, during, and after the American Civil War as an allegory for the American South during the 19th and 20th centuries. After arriving in Jefferson with little to his name, Stupen builds himself a manor and establishes a successful plantation that quickly earns him a place among the Southern aristocracy. Stupen lives relatively peacefully until he prevents Charles Bon, the college classmate of his son Henry, from marrying his daughter Judith, because he recognizes Bon as his son from a previous marriage. Enraged, Henry and Bon break ties with Stupen and fight vehemently for the Confederacy during the war. When he finds out that Bon is not only his half-brother but also part African-American, Henry murders Bon. After seeing his family destroyed, the aging post-war Stupen declines in mental and physical health, slumping into a life of alcoholism and unhealthy relationships. The title Absalom, Absalom! refers to the Biblical story of Absalom, the rebellious son of King David. Along with The Sound and the Fury (1929), Absalom, Absalom! played a major role in Faulkner's receiving the 1949 Nobel Prize in Literature. Notably, the folding map included in this volume was reproduced from an original drawing by Faulkner.. Signed by Author. 1st Edition.. Hard Cover.