THE THREE ROADS
First printing of Millar's fourth novel, the final one using his given name.
Near fine in near fine jacket.
Price: $750.00
THE THREE ROADS
"He closed his eyes again, groping for the severed ends of his dreams. But the shadows of the dream evaded him, fleeing backward down the tunnel of sleep like insubstantial ghosts."
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." An uncommonly nice example of this early work, a psychologically influenced murder mystery with strong thriller strains (and his first set in California).
Read more: 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, A4.1.
The Object
First edition. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1948. 7.5'' x 5''. Original full brown cloth with blue-stamped titles. In original unclipped ($2.50) color pictorial jacket designed by Arthur Hawkins, Jr. [12], 224, [4] pages. Mild toning to jacket. Touches of edgewear. Overall, sharp. Book has slight lean. Else sound and clean.
The Fine Print
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