Cheever, John

The National Pastime

Los Angeles, CA: Sylvester & Orphanos, 1982. Limited First Edition Thus. Hardcover. Signed by John Cheever. "To be an American and unable to play baseball is comparable to being a Polynesian and unable to swim. It's an impossible situation. This will be apparent to everyone, and it was to me, a country boy brought up on a farm- or, to be precise, in a country house- just outside the village of St. Botolph's, in Massachusetts." (pg. 1) Thus is the memorable beginning of this exemplary short story by John Cheever (1912-1982), the great American author who has been canonized in the Library of America series. Cheever is especially acclaimed as a short-story writer, & as his excellent biographer Blake Bailey writes in one of the LOA editions he edited, Cheever's "...stories rank among the finest achievements of twentieth-century fiction." Originally published in The New Yorker magazine during 1953, this polished little literary gem is dedicated to Cheever's son Benjamin, & revolves around the quintessentially American pastime of baseball. It is interesting to note that the fictional birthplace (or just near it) of the author, as quoted above, is the same original location as that of the Wapshot family in Cheever's prize-winning novel The Wapshot Chronicle (see item No. 5135) & its sequel, The Wapshot Scandal (item No. 5160). Offered here is a limited production issued the year of Cheever's death (1982), & therefore among the final works, if not the very final, to be published during his lifetime. Hardcover in illustrated cloth, one of 300 copies hand-numbered & signed by Cheever at colophon (again, surely among his very last). This is copy No. 116/300. With illustrations & decorations on covers, spine & title page by Vance Gerry (1929-2005), the venerable storyboard artist & designer. We have seen reference to publisher's clear plastic protective jacket, which is not present. We have, of course, provided our own clear protective jacket for this volume. A most rare & beautiful John Cheever collectible in exceptionally very fine condition with only a touch of rubbing to illustrated beige cloth front, back covers & spine (lightly shadowed areas thereon we believe are a component of illustration as issued); very light rubbing to edges & corners of same; slight loss of dark brown lettering at spine (esp. "Cheever"). Interior very fine with only light browning-discoloration at inner margins of esp. rear blank paste-downs, endpapers; otherwise substantially mint. Very Fine. [Item #5235]

Price: $175.00