The Edible Woman.

£4,500 · Offered by Shapero Rare Books

association copy of the author's first novel - with autograph letter A lovely association copy of Atwood's first novel, inscribed on the title page to her friend Jerome Hamilton Buckley (Gurney Professor Emeritus of English Literature at Harvard): 'For J.E.H Buckley / with best wishes, / Peggy atwood / 1969.', together with 1pp ALS addressed to the same and dated 'September 23 '69'. The letter, signed 'Peggy A.', is dated from Atwood's time teaching at the University of Alberta, and is on the Department of English's white headed paper. She opens by commenting on the release of the novel and refers to the present copy and another work: 'The novel is out in both Canada and England (the Sunday Times liked it) and a copy is making its way to you. The other book [The Journals of Susanna Moodie] has been held up - though it's coming out as a C.B.C. record in November!' The majority of the letter details Atwood's thesis (presumably her PhD thesis, The English Metaphysical Romance, which she pursued for two years but did not complete): 'I'm about to settle back into the thesis. What I now propose to do is to put all the mother-goddess material first (as chapters one and two). [...] I haven't heard yet from Mr. Kiely, but will charge ahead unless I get an outraged letter from him telling me I'm WRONG.' Closing, she makes a rather telling remark about the publisher: 'I doubt that my thesis will turn into a book - I'm developing a phobia about publishers. Are they all as chaotic as McCl

• Binding: Hardcover

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