William Styron. First American edition, first printing. NAP. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1951. Both unclipped dust jacket and hardcover are in Very Good and Very Good+ condition respectively. Jacket designed by the great George Salter. Original price $3.50 on inside flap. Jacket has some foxing and wear on front/back sides. No writing or markings found in the book, other than former owner signature on flyleaf, 400 pp. From the estate of Jack Lockhart, New York.
A precursor to his controversial 1968 Pulitzer winning Confessions of Nat Turner and National Book Award winning Sophie's Choice.
A stunning debut novel, it established Styron as one of America’s most important postwar literary voices. Set in the American South, this haunting and lyrical novel explores themes of family dysfunction, mental illness, and spiritual decay with psychological depth and literary brilliance.
William Styron (1925-2006) was only 26 years old when Lie Down in Darkness was published, earning instant acclaim and launching a distinguished literary career that would include Sophie’s Choice and The Confessions of Nat Turner. This edition features the original unclipped dust jacket, a rare find that makes it an exceptional collectible for fans of 20th-century American literature.
