Gardner, John

The Sunlight Dialogues

ISBN: 039447144X
New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1972. First Edition. Hardcover. "Now, with The Sunlight Dialogues, (John Gardner) gives us his most ambitious and most astonishing work: a world-size novel in which the complex life of an American small town is perceived as an all-encompassing medieval romance in modern dress, a pathless forest for twentieth-century knights, ladies, and wizards. The central plot concerns the quest of a noble but somewhat befuddled old police chief to get hold of and, more important, understand a strange magician called the "Sunlight Man." What the Sunlight Man believes in, if anything, is absolute existential freedom. What Chief of Police Fred Clumly believes in is not only Law and Order but also Justice- Absolute Justice here and now. The two mad idealists hunt each other until each drives his enemy to a bedrock humanness, stripped of illusion, full of grace." (from front flap) The fourth novel by John Gardner (1933-1982), the brilliant American novelist, essayist, critic & academician whose life was suddenly cut short in a motorcycle accident at only age 49. This door-stopper is among Gardner's most popular & celebrated works, full of allegory & profundity. The "American small town" where this long story takes place is Batavia, New York, the real location where Gardner was born & raised on a farm. Here, Batavia is the microcosmic setting for the unfolding of macrocosmic, universal conditions of humanity. With charmingly surreal illustrations through dust jacket, front cover, frontispiece & throughout by John Napper (1916-2001), the acclaimed British artist. Hardcover in unclipped dust jacket, first edition as stated on copyright page, a big, beautiful, quality production like they don't make anymore as the saying goes. First printing (we presume, as there is no reference otherwise) in first issue dust jacket with $8.95 price on front flap, "12/72" reference on rear flap. An essential, highly desirable Gardner collectible in its rarest original version. Book in very fine condition with only slight fading at thin edges & corners of front, back covers & spine; mild rubbing & moderate light spotting to side edge of text block (uncut as issued); much less to lower edge of same; mild fading & scratching to black-dyed upper edge of same. Dust jacket very fine with only very slight rubbing & occasional spotting to front, back covers & spine; a bit of wear & some tiny bumps, creases at thin edges & corners of same & flaps. An extra handling fee will be added for shipping due to the weight of this item. Very Fine / Very Fine. [Item #4473]

Price: $100.00