Click for full-size.
The Broom of the System
by David Foster Wallace
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- Near Fine, tight square binding, gently pushed to tail of spine, trace soiling to boards, slight impression between pp.16-17 whe/Very Good(+) unclipped jacket shows only tracest shelving wear but for a uniformly sunned spine. All material present, bright an
- ISBN 10
- 0670812307
- ISBN 13
- 9780670812301
- Seller
-
Ridgewood, New York, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: Viking, 1987. First Edition. Hardcover octavo. Light blue boards backed with black cloth with metallic blue decorative titling to spine. 467 pp. Near Fine, tight square binding, gently pushed to tail of spine, trace soiling to boards, slight impression between pp.16-17 where a card or pamphlet seems to have been stored (likely correctable through proper shelving)./Very Good(+) unclipped jacket shows only tracest shelving wear but for a uniformly sunned spine. All material present, bright and clean otherwise.. First Edition of Foster Wallace's debut novel, which went through a print run of just 1300. Scarce by any means, especially copies such as this which are NOT ex-library.
Synopsis
Published when Wallace was just twenty-four years old, The Broom of the System stunned critics and marked the emergence of an extraordinary new talent. At the center of this outlandishly funny, fiercely intelligent novel is the bewitching heroine, Lenore Stonecipher Beadsman. The year is 1990 and the place is a slightly altered Cleveland, Ohio. Lenore’s great-grandmother has disappeared with twenty-five other inmates of the Shaker Heights Nursing Home. Her beau, and boss, Rick Vigorous, is insanely jealous, and her cockatiel, Vlad the Impaler, has suddenly started spouting a mixture of psycho-babble, Auden, and the King James Bible. Ingenious and entertaining, this debut from one of the most innovative writers of his generation brilliantly explores the paradoxes of language, storytelling, and reality.
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- Better Read Than Dead
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 715
- Title
- The Broom of the System
- Author
- David Foster Wallace
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover octavo. Light blue boards backed with black cloth with metallic blue decorative titling to spine. 467 pp
- Book Condition
- Used - Near Fine, tight square binding, gently pushed to tail of spine, trace soiling to boards, slight impression between pp.16-17 whe
- Jacket Condition
- Very Good(+) unclipped jacket shows only tracest shelving wear but for a uniformly sunned spine. All material present, bright an
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First Edition
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN 10
- 0670812307
- ISBN 13
- 9780670812301
- Publisher
- Viking
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 1987
Terms of Sale
Better Read Than Dead
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
Better Read Than Dead
Biblio member since 2023
Ridgewood, New York
About Better Read Than Dead
Better Read Than Dead has been selling used books and other printed materials in Brooklyn, NY since 2012. We currently operate two open storefronts and an ever-growing online inventory.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- 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...
- Sunned
- Damage done to a book cover or dust jacket caused by exposure to direct sunlight. Very strong fluorescent light can cause slight...
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Tight
- Used to mean that the binding of a book has not been overly loosened by frequent use.
- Tail
- The heel of the spine.
Frequently asked questions
This Book’s Categories
Collect modern first editions
Biblio is showcasing the top book published every year starting in 1919. See if your favorite modern first edition made the list! Check out our collecting first editions by the year.
Collecting Classic Supernatural Fiction
Classic supernatural fiction is distinct from contemporary horror because it is more literate and often relies upon poetic subtlety rather than unpleasant gratuity to create an atmosphere. Enter if you dare!
