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THE CLEFT:  A Novel

THE CLEFT: A Novel

THE CLEFT:  A Novel
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THE CLEFT: A Novel

by Lessing, Doris

  • Used
  • as new
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
As New/As New
ISBN 10
0060834862
ISBN 13
9780060834869
Seller
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This seller has earned a 2 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Los Angeles, California, United States
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About This Item

New York, New York, U.S.A. : Harper, 2007. First U.S. Edition 1st Printing. Hardcover. As New/As New. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. As new, in as new, mylar-protected dust jacket. [BUND]

Synopsis

Doris Lessing, one of England's finest living novelists, invites us to imagine a mythical society free from sexual intrigue, free from jealousy, free from petty rivalries: a society free from men.An old Roman senator, contemplative at his late stage of life, embarks on what will likely be his last endeavour: the retelling of the story of human creation. He recounts the history of the Clefts, an ancient community of women living in an Edenic, coastal wilderness, confined within the valley of an overshadowing mountain. The Clefts have no need, or knowledge, of men – childbirth is controlled, like the tides that lap around their feet, through the cycles of the moon, and their children are always female. But with the unheralded birth of a strange, new child – a boy – the harmony of their community is suddenly thrown into jeopardy. At first, in their ignorance, the Clefts are awestruck by this seemingly malformed child, but as more and more of these threateningly unfamiliar males appear, now unfavourably nicknamed Squirts, they are rejected, and are exposed on the nearby mountainside; sacrificed to the patrolling eagles overhead, the sentinels of their female haven. Unbeknownst to the Clefts, however, these baby males survive, aided by the very eagles sent to kill them, and thrive on their own on the other side of the mountain. It is not until an unusually curious young Cleft named Maire goes beyond the geographical, and emotional, divide of the mountain that this disquieting fact is uncovered – a discovery that forces the Clefts to accept and realign themselves to the prospect of a now shared world, and the possible vengeance of the wronged males. In this fascinating and beguiling novel, Lessing confronts head-on the themes that inspired much of her early writing: how men and women, two similar and yet thoroughly distinct creatures, manage to live side by side in the world, and how the specifics of gender affect every aspect of our existence.

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Details

Bookseller
Joe Staats, Bookseller US (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #
021792
Title
THE CLEFT: A Novel
Author
Lessing, Doris
Format/Binding
Hardcover
Book Condition
New As New
Jacket Condition
As New
Quantity Available
1
Edition
First U.S. Edition 1st Printing
ISBN 10
0060834862
ISBN 13
9780060834869
Publisher
Harper
Place of Publication
New York, New York, U.S.A.
Date Published
2007
Pages
272
Size
8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾
Product_type
2

Terms of Sale

Joe Staats, Bookseller

Books shipped in secure packaging via USPS Media Mail, Priority Mail or Global Priority Mail, upon receipt of payment, unless customer requests another method of delivery. Shipping is within 24 hrs. of receipt of payment for money orders, and after three business days for personal checks. All book jackets are protected in mylar covers from Brodart. Customers have three business days within which to contact us with complaints about merchandise by e-mail. Returns must be approved, in original packaging material, and in the same condition as when shipped. Because we make every effort to have the best possible merchandise in the best condition, to describe it accurately and to package it securely, we will in most cases accept approved returns. Approved returns will be cheerfully refunded, or credit given toward other books. Our aim is to please, and to earn your return business with superior service and prompt delivery.

About the Seller

Joe Staats, Bookseller

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 2 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2003
Los Angeles, California

About Joe Staats, Bookseller

Modern Literature, Mysteries, and More!
We specialize in collectible, contemporary signed first editions. First edition means the first printing. (Later printings of the first edition are typically not printed on acid-free paper, and should be avoided by collectors.) Signatures are obtained by us in person. Inscribed books sold by us may contain a line, a phrase, or a sketch that the author has chosen to add. Our signed books are not dedicated to anybody in particular (not to your grandmother, your Aunt Gladys, your ex-lover or your former cellmate), except in the rare case of a presentation copy from an author to a noteworthy person. All our books are hardcover, unless the book is an Advance Reading Copy, Uncorrected Proof, or PBO. You can expect that the books we send you will be as described, and in a physical condition worthy of the author’s having signed them. We do not sell remainder-marked books, signed or otherwise

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