Brautigan, Richard

Willard and His Bowling Trophies: A Perverse Mystery

New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1975. First Printing. Hardcover. "'With the publication of 'The Hawkline Monster,' Richard Brautigan, author of 'Trout Fishing in America,' revealed a new dimension to his talent that amused and entertained his many readers. 'His writing has an exemplary control and precision, a fine-tuned tension...he belongs at literature's main table.’ (Chicago Tribune). In this stunning new novel, Brautigan explores contemporary values in America and their effect upon all of us. The results are brilliant, bizarre, funny and frightening. / ... / As the National Observer said of his work, Richard Brautigan ‘...will surprise you by being totally original. No writer you can think of is quite like him...’” So reads a sizable excerpt from the interior front-and-back flaps of tortured genius Richard Brautigan's (1935-1984) novel "Willard And His Bowling Trophies," first published by Simon & Schuster in 1975. The novel, a strange tale peopled by two eclectic characters with oddly-specific intellectual obsessions and "offbeat" (as the front flap describes them) sexual tastes meet two nudist, sandwich-eating characters who live below the first set of characters. They then become entwined (by way of the plot) with the Logan brothers, whose bowling trophies have been stolen. Lord only knows what kind of turbulent surrealism might befall such a disjointed assortment of characters. Strange as this fragmented premise may seem, if anyone can pull it off, it would be Brautigan, the cult favorite author of such Beat-inflected works as "Trout Fishing in America" (1967) and "The Tokyo-Montana Express" (see TMB Item #1806). [SBN: 671-22065-9]. Hardcover in unclipped dust-jacket, First Edition, although not explicated as such on copyright page; First Printing, as indicated by number sequence thereon. Book in very fine condition, surely one of the cleanest copies of this mid-late period Brautigan novel, with only a slight "V" written in black felt pen ink on bottom of text block (which does not affect the text or rectos of pages in any way). Dust-jacket in (equally) very fine condition with only slightest shelf wear to fine-edges; four barely-visible horizontal creases present near topmost fine-edge of back cover; original price sticker of $7.95 from bookstore at which this title was originally purchased in 1975 present at interior front flap of unclipped dust-jacket, else pristine. Very Fine / Very Fine. [Item #4761]

Price: $65.00