Absalom, Absalom!
William Faulkner
📚 Genre
Southern Gothic, Modernist Literature, Historical Fiction
🏢 Publisher
Modern Library (Random House imprint)
📅 Publication Year
Circa 1951-1960 (Based on binding style and logo)
🔢 ISBN
N/A (Pre-ISBN era reprint)
About This Book
A complex tragic story set in the American South, following Thomas Sutpen's rise and fall in the 19th century as told through multiple unreliable narrators. The cover is a maroon/burgundy textured cloth with gold-stamped lettering on the spine featuring the Modern Library 'Torchbearer' logo.
Book Details
Language
English
Pages
Approximately 378 pages
Edition
Modern Library Reprint, Hardcover (Toledano Binding Style 8 or 11)
Series
Part of the Modern Library collection (unnumbered series)
Target Audience
Adult, Academic, Literary Students
Collector Information
Condition
Good. The spine shows some fading/sun-bleaching (common for this colored cloth), spine lean, and minor fraying at the head and tail. Gold lettering remains legible.
Estimated Value
$10-$25 (Missing original dust jacket significantly reduces value for Modern Library collectors)
Rarity
Common. Modern Library editions were mass-produced in the mid-20th century. While historically important, this specific naked cloth copy is widely available.
Historical Significance
Absalom, Absalom! is considered one of the greatest Southern Gothic novels ever written and was a core text referenced during Faulkner's 1949 Nobel Prize in Literature selection.
Collector Notes
For Modern Library collectors, the presence of the dust jacket is essential for high value. Check the list of titles on the reverse of the jacket (if found later) to determine the exact year of printing. Store away from direct sunlight to prevent further fading of the maroon cloth.
Similar Books
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner, All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren, Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor, Beloved by Toni Morrison
Notable Features
Includes the Modern Library 'Torchbearer' logo; likely features a map of Yoknapatawpha County on the endpapers as is typical for Faulkner editions in this series.