{"product_id":"the-centaur-john-updike-1st-edition","title":"The Centaur, John Updike — 1st Edition","description":"\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"1\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003ePublication\u003c\/b\u003e: New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 1963\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"2\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"2\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eFormatting\u003c\/b\u003e: 8vo, pp. 303.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"3\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"3\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eCondition Report\u003c\/b\u003e: Very Good. The binding remains remarkably tight and square, displaying an unread crispness to the text block that is uncommon for this title. The original black cloth spine and dark grey paper boards are exceptionally clean, with the gilt spine lettering remaining bright and unoxidised. Internally, the pages are fresh, bright, and completely free of foxing or thumbing. The dust wrapper has survived very well, retaining its original gloss; it shows only minor rubbing to the extremities and slight edge-wear, presenting as a highly attractive, robust example overall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"4\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"4\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eCatalogue Note\u003c\/b\u003e: The true first edition, first printing, retaining the required 'First Edition' statement upon the copyright page. This third novel by the author earned him the National Book Award for Fiction in 1964.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"5\"\u003eBound in the publisher's original quarter black cloth over grey boards, this copy features the iconic original dust wrapper design depicting the mythological centaur Chiron.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"6\"\u003eFirst editions of this work are relatively common on the open market; however, securing a copy that remains genuinely unread and tightly bound in a highly presentable dust wrapper elevates its desirability among collectors of modern American literature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"7\"\u003eSet in the harsh winter of 1947 in rural Pennsylvania, the narrative masterfully intertwines the mundane and the mythological. It chronicles three days in the life of George Caldwell, a beleaguered high school science teacher, and his anxious teenage son, Peter. Through a dual lens, the author reimagines Caldwell as the tragic Greek centaur Chiron, offering a profound, lyrical exploration of paternal sacrifice, existential dread, and the quiet heroism inherent in everyday life.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Broadhursts Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55730643173715,"sku":"6781","price":55.2,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/1469\/6787\/files\/20261028_124306.jpg?v=1793741362","url":"https:\/\/broadhurstsbooks.com\/products\/the-centaur-john-updike-1st-edition","provider":"Broadhursts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}