Flaubert's Parrot [Signed] by BARNES, Julian - 1984

London: Jonathan Cape, 1984. First Edition. Hardcover. As New/As New. First Impression ("First published 1984") of the author's "most celebrated book . . . hailed as an exemplary postmodernist text . . ." (Literary Encyclopedia) 8vo: 190pp. Publisher's lime-green cloth, spine stamped in gilt; pictorial dust jacket priced £8.50. Signed and dated (not inscribed) by Barnes on title-page. Virtually pristine, a Very Fine copy, apparently unread. Short-listed for the Man Booker Prize; awarded the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize. "Flaubert's Parrot tells the story of a retired doctor, Geoffrey Braithwaite, who is fascinated by the French nineteenth century writer Gustave Flaubert and, on a personal level, is trying to come to terms with the death of his wife, Ellen. Though these two concerns seem separate at first, as the book progresses, the relation between the two strands is brought to light. On the one hand, Geoffrey and Ellen Braithwaite appear as a contemporary English replica of Charles and Emma Bovary in Flaubert's masterpiece Madame Bovary; on the other hand, the narrator's obsession with Flaubert is a way to displace and assuage the grief caused by his wife's infidelity and suicide." (Literary Encyclopedia) NB: With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition, with dust jackets carefully preserved in archival, removable polypropylene sleeves. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed.