Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1959. His first book, a collection of short fiction including the title novella -- which was the basis for a well-received movie in the Sixties -- and five short stories. Winner of the National Book Award and a Houghton Mifflin Literary Fellowship Award. Top stain a bit faded, and a little rubbing to the board edges; near fine in a very good spine-tanned dust jacket with a few short edge tears. An attractive copy of an auspicious debut, the promise of which was more than fulfilled by the author's subsequent writing career. Roth was one of the few novelists to have his entire body of work re-issued in the Library of America series -- a total of nine volumes, more than any other writer in the series. [#030786] SOLD