THE BARBAROUS COAST
First printing of this sixth novel from the Lew Archer series, set among Southern California's country club elite.
Near fine in a near fine jacket.
Price: $850.00
THE BARBAROUS COAST
"I'm really trying to write about contemporary life. I've found the detective form useful for this." —Ross Macdonald
Like Raymond Chandler before him (and to whom he is often compared), Ross Macdonald (pseudonym Kenneth Millar) straddled the worlds of genre and literary fiction. In the famous words of fellow novelist William Goldman, he created "the finest series of detective novels ever written by an American." Across more than 20 books, including his acclaimed and best-known Lew Archer series (named for Sam Spade's partner), Macdonald earned both popular and critical praise, culminating in his 1974 Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America for lifetime achievement, their highest honor. Since his death in 1986, Macdonald's reputation has only grown. Indeed, reviewing for THE BAFFLER the author's 2015 inclusion in the august Library of America, writer Andrew Bacevich praised Macdonald as a "pulp maestro." The first of Macdonald's books to utilize the "Ross Macdonald" (only) pseudonym.
Read more: MacDonald, Introduction to Archer in Hollywood; Grogg, "Ross MacDonald: At The Edge" (Interview), Journal of Popular Culture, Summer 1973; Bacevich, "A Not-So-Golden State," The Baffler, October 2015; Bruccoli, Ross Macdonald/Kenneth Millar: A Descriptive Bibliography, A12.1.
The Object
First edition. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1956. 7.5'' x 5''. Original orange patterned boards. In original ($2.95) color pictorial jacket designed by Jean Carlu. Green topstain. [8], 248 pages. Mild toning, foxing to underside of jacket (only). Some soil to rear panel. Touches of rubbing, edgewear. Book has slight lean. Minor shelfwear to extremities. Overall, bright and sound.
The Fine Print
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