BEEN DOWN SO LONG IT LOOKS LIKE UP TO ME - Richard Farina

Description: BEEN DOWN SO LONG IT LOOKS LIKE UP TO ME - Richard Farina - 1st First Edition. BEEN DOWN SO LONG IT LOOKS LIKE UP TO ME - 1st/1st Farina, Richard Random House, Inc., New York, NY, 1966 SEE ATTACHED PHOTOS FOR DESCRIPTION OF CONDITION Hardcover Condition: Very Good Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good 1st Edition. 329 pages, 8vo. Stated First Printing. Hardcover book is in very good condition, with slight bowing to front board. Spine ends slightly bumped. Beautiful, rich, dark black topstain. Chalk blue cloth boards with bright green cloth spine, black, yellow and white lettering and arrows. Spine is very slightly cocked. No internal marks. Volume is in Very Good condition. (See photos.) Dust jacket in very good condition, price clipped. Blurb by Thomas Pynchon on inside rear flap. Shelfwear to DJ: light scuffing along edges and covers, front and back. Significant chipping and wear with some loss to spine ends. Wear at all corners of jacket. 1.5 inch tear with slight loss to lower back jacket panel. DJ in mylar. (See photos.) Why this book is important: Richard Farina was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident on his way to a book signing event for “Been Down So Long” shortly after its publication. From Wikipedia: originally published by Random House in 1966. The novel, based largely on Farina’s college experiences and travels, is … set in 1958 in the American West, in Cuba during the Cuban Revolution, and mostly at Cornell University (called Mentor University in the novel). The protagonist is Gnossos Pappadopoulis, who … attacks authority figures with anarchic glee; and lusts after the girl in the green knee-socks while searching for the right karma. The book has become a cult classic among fans of the 1960s and counterculture literature. Thomas Pynchon, who later dedicated his book Gravity's Rainbow (1973) to Fariña, described Fariña's novel as "coming on like the Hallelujah Chorus done by 200 kazoo players with perfect pitch... hilarious, chilling, sexy, profound, maniacal, beautiful, and outrageous all at the same time." Pynchon later said of Farina and “Been Down”, ‘The first time I read Been Down. . . was in manuscript, an early drafts in the summer of 1963. I remember giving him a lot of free advice, though I've forgotten what it was exactly. But fortunately he didn't take any of it. He must have wondered if I thought we were still back in writing class. Later, having rewritten it, ten pages from the end of the final draft, his hand went out on him. Did you hear about my Paralyzed Hand?’ he wrote in a letter. ‘Why Tom old boy’-- Warlock talk-- ‘I woke up this here otherwise promising morning with a clump of inert floppy for a hand.’” Thomas Pynchon. Copyright © 1995-97 “San Narciso Community College” More Photos upon request. Please examine photos which are included as part of the description. If you have questions about an item for sale please ask before purchase, and request additional photos. Book Grading* and description FINE ~ Marginally less than perfect, and may designate a book that is still new, or a book that has been carefully read. The use of the term Fine (as compared to Near Fine or Very Good) often depends on when the book was published. A recent book should have no notable defects at all. But the dustjacket of a Fine older book may have a small closed tear, or be a little rubbed, even a bit worn at the edges. Such defects, if present, must be minor and should always be noted. (Note also that a book may be new and unread, but it may have aged on the shelf to the point of being considered Near Fine or even Very Good. Similarly a unique 200-year-old book might be viewed as "Fine", while a recent book in the exact same condition could only be described as "Very Good".) NEAR FINE ~ Somewhere between Very Good and Fine. The distinction is usually in the eye of the bookseller and involves minor defects (always described). Near Fine is generally meant to inform the customer that the condition is excellent but "not quite Fine". VERY GOOD ~ A used book that shows shelfwear and visible signs of having been read. Its dustjacket may be rubbed, chipped, or even missing small pieces, but it should generally be clean and bright, depending on how old it is. The book should always be clean and tight, and the overall appearance should be of a desirable copy. A very old book may show some foxing. The description of a Very Good book ought to include all notable flaws. GOOD ~ Good describes the average used and worn book that has all pages or leaves present. A Good book may be cocked, have loose joints, and be missing a dustjacket. But it must be complete, clean, and worth keeping. Its value will be a fraction of a Fine copy, unless it is very scarce. *Grading definitions from Vermont Antiquarian Booksellers Association. As a seller, I describe most collectible books as either in Near Fine or Very Good condition. I have never described even books in pristine condition as “Fine”. UNREAD ~ Sometimes I add a note that a book is “unread”. A book which is in very good condition with notable defects can also be unread-in fact this is common. “Unread” does not mean free of defects, but means just not read, and it’s hallmark is that the front board of the book does not flop open perpendicular to the text block when the book is placed flat on its spine. The boards retain some stiffness at the hinges and tend to cling to the text block. Unread does not mean never opened. An unread book is more desirable than one with boards that flop open when unsupported, and so “Unread” should be noted in a description if present.

Price: 450 USD

Location: Boulder, Colorado

End Time: 2024-04-24T03:00:01.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD