{"product_id":"the-margin-andre-pierre-de-mandiargues-1st-edition","title":"The Margin, André Pierre de Mandiargues — 1st UK Edition","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication\u003c\/strong\u003e: London, Calder \u0026amp; Boyars Ltd, 1969\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormatting\u003c\/strong\u003e: 8vo, pp. [vi], 216.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition Report\u003c\/b\u003e Very Good. Original red cloth boards remain bright, clean, and rigid, with sharp corners and unbumped extremities. The binding is tight and square, demonstrating little to no shelf-wear. Internally, the text block is clean and free from previous ownership signatures, inscriptions, or significant foxing, though the page edges exhibit the standard, uniform mild toning typical of the paper stock from this era. The striking photographic dust jacket is unclipped and presents excellently, maintaining its crisp monochrome contrast and red typography. It shows only minor superficial rubbing along the top edge and spine ends, with no significant chips, tears, or fading. A loose contemporary newspaper review clipping of the book has been laid in by a previous owner.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCatalogue Note\u003c\/b\u003e First UK Edition. The novel was translated into English by the acclaimed American poet and translator Richard Howard. Originally published in France as \u003ci\u003eLa Marge\u003c\/i\u003e by Éditions Gallimard in 1967, the book won the prestigious Prix Goncourt, France's most coveted literary award. Calder \u0026amp; Boyars were instrumental in bringing avant-garde and transgressive European literature to the British public, and this edition exemplifies their commitment to modern French fiction. The inclusion of a contemporary newspaper review clipping laid into the text provides a charming piece of ephemera that captures the contemporary critical reception of Howard's translation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Margin\u003c\/i\u003e is a masterful exploration of existential detachment and surrealist wandering. The narrative follows Sigismond, a Frenchman who travels to Barcelona on business. Upon arriving, he receives a letter from his rural home that he intuitively senses contains terrible news regarding his wife. Choosing to leave the letter unopened, Sigismond retreats into a self-imposed \"margin\" of reality. He spends three days wandering the vibrant, labyrinthine, and sordid streets of Barcelona's red-light district, engaging with prostitutes, observing the city's underbelly, and delaying the inevitable intrusion of tragedy. Mandiargues blends profound psychological observation with vivid, almost hallucinatory prose, creating a poignant study of grief, denial, and the human condition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Broadhursts Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53760241369427,"sku":"4055-RM-F-VG-9","price":30.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/1469\/6787\/files\/20260609_143300.jpg?v=1781016663","url":"https:\/\/broadhurstsbooks.com\/products\/the-margin-andre-pierre-de-mandiargues-1st-edition","provider":"Broadhursts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}