The Black Book, Lawrence Durrell

£30.00

The Black Book, Lawrence Durrell

Name: The Black Book, Lawrence Durrell
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 5836
Price: 30.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

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Publication: Paris, The Olympia Press, 1959

Formatting: 12mo, pp. 301.

Condition Report: Very Good. The book maintains excellent structural integrity, presenting a tight, sound binding with no significant lean to the spine. The iconic green wrappers remain relatively bright and generally clean, showing only mild rubbing at the spine extremities and light wear to the corners. The joints are firm, avoiding the splitting often seen in these fragile, glued paperback editions. Internally, the pages exhibit a typical, uniform toning consistent with the paper stock, but remain clean and entirely free of creases, tears, or major foxing. An attractive, well-preserved example of this notoriously delicate edition.

Catalogue Note: This is a post-1960 printing of the unexpurgated Olympia Press edition of Lawrence Durrell’s seminal novel, issued as Number 77 in The Traveller's Companion Series.

While the true first Traveller's Companion printing bears a price of 1,500 francs on the lower rear cover, this copy features the later 18 francs price, indicating it was issued shortly after the introduction of the new French franc in January 1960.

Originally published under the Obelisk Press imprint in Paris in 1938, the novel’s explicit content prevented it from being legally published in the UK or the USA for decades. Fittingly, this iconic green-wrappered reissue carries the explicit warning "Not to be sold in the U.S.A. or U.K." printed on the rear panel. Though not strictly rare, finding an intact copy in such collectable condition is increasingly uncommon, making it a highly desirable addition for collectors of mid-century expatriate literature and the Traveller's Companion series.

The Black Book is Lawrence Durrell's semi-autobiographical, stream-of-consciousness tour de force that secured his literary reputation. Heavily influenced by his mentor and friend Henry Miller, Durrell breaks from traditional British literary constraints to explore the decaying, claustrophobic society of 1930s England, satirised as the "English Death." Through the eyes of Lawrence Lucifer, a young writer struggling in a shabby London hotel, the novel delivers a dense, poetic, and sexually frank meditation on art, despair, and self-discovery. In the author's own 1959 preface, he describes the work as a "savage battle conducted in the interests of self-discovery" and the "genuine article," representing the "birth-cry of a newly born baby of letters". Banned in Britain for decades due to its uncompromising content, it remains a landmark of modernist literature.

Book Condition: Very Good

Book Authors: Lawrence Durrell

Book Publisher: The Olympia Press

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Fiction

Genre: Modern Fiction

Book edition:

Signed: No

Book Pages: 301

Book Publication Year: 1959

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Paperback

Illustrator: N/A

Book Series: The Traveller's Companion Series

Country/region of manufacture: Paris, France

Book Dimensions:

Book Condition Guide

We stock thousands of books in a wide range of conditions. To make things clear and to help you know exactly what to expect, Please refer to these condition categories to understand the condition of the book you will receive.

Condition	Description
New	A brand-new, unread and professionally handled book. Carefully preserved from publication to purchase, these books are offered in the best attainable condition. This grade applies to recently published titles that have not entered long-term storage.
As New	The book is in pristine, original condition as if just published. No signs of use or handling. The dust jacket (if present) is equally flawless. This grade applies to any book that has remained untouched in storage for years.
Fine	The book is close to As New. It remains bright and attractive, but could show minor imperfections to the boards and/or dust jacket (if present). Its pages are typically clean and unmarked.
Near Fine	The book has a number of small flaws, i.e. slight rubbing to the edges, or tiny chips or creases to the dust jacket (if present). Its pages may have faint marks, or creases that are barely perceptible — nothing that detracts from their overall condition.
Very Good	The book maintains its structural integrity, and has no major flaws such as tears to its binding or pages. It may, however, show signs of careful use, handling, or storage — small marks and creases, light foxing. Its dust jacket (if present) remains fully intact, but small tears may be present.
Good	A book that remains intact and readable with complete text pages, but shows moderate signs of wear and use to both the book and dust jacket (if present). It may have noticeable creases, nicks, or stains, and the spine likely shows fading, bumping, and rubbing. There could be writing, underlining, and other marks on some pages, though the majority will be clean and tidy.
Fair	A book with significant wear or damage. The text pages will be complete, but there may be heavy underlining, highlighting and staining throughout, and the book’s endpapers, half-title, and copyright pages could be damaged or missing. The binding could be loose, and the dust jacket (if present) may have notable scuffs or tears. These copies are usually of interest for content, signature(s) or scarcity.
Poor	A heavily worn book whose value lies in its complete and legible text. A poor book will have substantial defects — loose joints or hinges, detached covers, loose and/or missing pages, and could be heavily soiled. A poor book is also known as a reading copy, and although compromised, can hold historical or bibliographic significance.