From an author whose work has been praised for its "wit, subtle compassion, and an offbeat originality" (Boston Globe) comes a novel as unforgettable as it is compelling. An endearing blend of fable, fairy tale, and page-turner, The Watermelon King brings readers back to Ashland, Alabama--immortalized in Big Fish--a fictional town whose identity is based on its long-ago abundance of watermelons. Thomas Rider knows almost nothing about his parents, only that his mother died the day he was born in Ashland. He travels there and interviews the townspeople, learning of the town's bizarre past. Most importantly, he learns about the Watermelon Festival, which at one time occurred annually and would symbolically ensure the continued fertility of the crop that sustained them--and how his mother came to destroy it. Piecing together his own identity, as well as that of the town, Thomas finds himself immersed in a series of events that turns everything he knows upside down. Outrageous at times and heartbreaking at others, The Watermelon King is a vivid exploration of the power of history and of storytelling, of identity and myth. This novel is Wallace's most provocative and inventive work to date.

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Bookseller: MAB Books (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #: 78262
Title: The Watermelon King
Author: Wallace, Daniel
Format/Binding: Hardcover
Book Condition: Used - Good in Very Good dust jacket
Edition: First Edition
ISBN 10: 0618221387
ISBN 13: 9780618221387
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Place of Publication: Boston
Date Published: 2003
Keywords: 0618221387

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Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

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...
Jacket: Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...