FALCONER

New York: Knopf, 1977. First Edition. . Hardcover. Fine/Near Fine. Cheever's late career novel has, since its publication, received both high praise and heavy criticism. The story of Farragut, a professor who is a heroin addict and murderer of his brother, and is now imprisoned at Falconer, has been seen as a stand-in for its author's life story of a man addicted to alcohol and tobacco, with a complex sexuality, sentenced by his solitary profession to long periods of lonliness. There are also parallels between the novel and time Cheever spent as a teacher at NY's Sing Sing prison. First Printing, First Edition (as stated). About 6 x 8 1/2 inches, 211 pages in black cloth-covered boards with title stamped in black and grey running vertically along fore edge of cover, and silver lettering on spine. Front panel of dustjacket shows title in silver, author's name in white on blue field, and full panel photo of Cheever on back. A trace of soiling on top edge of text, o/w text and boards are clean, complete and unmarked; binding is tight and square. Not remaindered. Dustjacket shows only a touch of surface and edge wear and a bit of age-toning at top of both flaps. No creasing or tearing. Not price-clipped. A collectable copy.