THE LAND OF LAUGHS. New York: The Viking Press, [1980]. Octavo, cloth-backed boards. First edition. A nice association copy inscribed by Carroll to one of his editors: "These laughs are for / the man who took / the Bones to heart. / Jonathan." Obsessed with the works of Marshall France, a deceased reclusive children's author, Thomas Abbey travels to Galen, Missouri, the small town where France lived much of his life, in order to research and write France's biography. Abbey soon discovers that Galen and its inhabitants are intimately connected to France's writings in disconcerting ways. "Strongly characterized and beautifully paced, THE LAND OF LAUGHS combines elements of fantasy and horror into a piece of modern American Gothic which is ultimately sui generis." - Christopher Evans in Jones and Newman (eds), Horror: 100 Best Books 82. The author's first book. Barron (ed), Fantasy Literature 4A-61. Pringle, Modern Fantasy: The Hundred Best Novels 70. Winter list, p. 268. Several light soil marks to fore-edge of text block, a nearly fine copy in near fine dust jacket with light wear along bottom edges, mainly lower spine end, and a bit of mild surface scuffing to background ink. (#105765).
Price: $350.00
"First published in 1980..." on copyright page.