The Last Museum, Brion Gysin — 1st Edition

£35.00

The Last Museum, Brion Gysin — 1st Edition

Name: The Last Museum, Brion Gysin — 1st Edition
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 5129
Price: 35.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

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Publication: London, Faber and Faber, 1986

Formatting: 8vo, pp. 186.

Condition Report: Very Good. The original black pictorial wrappers remain bright and entirely structurally sound, retaining a firm, square spine that heavily suggests the book has remained unopened and unread. There is some minor but characteristic curling to the leading edges of the front wrapper, alongside light shelf-wear and slight rubbing to the joints and extremities which subtly reveals the underlying white card. Internally, the text block is pristine and free from any previous ownership markings or inscriptions. There is expected age-related tanning to the page margins, a typical and unavoidable trait of the paper stock used by the publisher during this period, as well as light, sporadic foxing primarily confined to the text block edges and extreme preliminaries. Overall, a highly presentable, tightly bound survivor of a notoriously fragile paperback.

Catalogue Note: First UK Edition. Published simultaneously with the American hardcover edition, this Faber and Faber paperback original presents Brion Gysin's final novel. It is notably striking for its front cover illustration, specially commissioned and executed by the renowned American pop artist Keith Haring, marking a brilliant visual intersection between the aging Beat generation and the vibrant 1980s downtown New York art scene. The rear panel further features an atmospheric photographic portrait of Gysin captured by Jane Atwood.

Given the inherent fragility of the black wrappers, which heavily attract rubbing and edge wear, and the acidic nature of the 1980s paper stock, surviving copies that remain this tight, unread, and entirely uncreased along the spine are becoming increasingly uncommon on the open market.

The Last Museum is Brion Gysin's final, freewheeling masterwork, a loose and hallucinatory post-mortem adventure told within the Bardo, the intermediate death state of Tibetan Buddhism. Serving as a dizzying remembrance of the famous Beat Hotel in Paris, the narrative follows our protagonist through forty-nine rooms across seven floors before the entire structure is dismantled by the Interdead International Movers and shipped to the San Andreas fault. Packed with thinly veiled references to Gysin’s close contemporaries like William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, the novel is a hilarious, raunchy, and profound summation of a Rabelaisian life, confirming Gysin as one of the most unpredictable and visionary forces of the twentieth-century avant-garde.

Book Condition: Very Good

Book Authors: Brion Gysin

Book Publisher: Faber and Faber

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Fiction

Genre: Modern Fiction

Book edition: First Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages: 186

Book Publication Year: 1986

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Softcover

Illustrator: Keith Haring

Book Series: N/A

Country/region of manufacture: Trowbridge, Wiltshire, United Kingdom

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.