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Highsmith, Patricia : People Who Knock On The Door: The Limited Edition

Penzler Books, New York City, NY, 1985

ISBN 0892961376

First Edition / First Printing. As New in No Dust Jacket, As Issued. 327 pages. Retrospective collection of short stories. One of the greatest short-story collections of late-20th century. Limited Slipcased Edition of 250 numbered and signed copies. The first appearance of these stories in book form in the United States. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions. The Limited Edition is now scarce. An austerely elegant production by Otto Penzler Books: Regular-sized volume format. Purple cloth boards with gilt titles embossed on the spine, as issued. Text by Patricia Highsmith. Matching purple slipcase. Printed on pristine-white, archival stock paper in the United States to the highest standards. Without DJ, as issued. Presents, in a signed collectible edition format, Patricia Highsmith's "People Who Knock On The Door". "A tale about blind faith and the slippery notion of justice that lies beneath the peculiarly American veneer of righteousness", her hard-earned and characteristically despairing view of humanity toughened (rather than softened) by her empathy for her deeply flawed characters. There are many crime-and-mystery thriller writers who can give even the most jaded reader a really good scare. Highsmith cuts more deeply, leaving an open wound, because she makes us see the void called the human soul. This is what makes her a truly ground-breaking Modernist, not just another great genre writer. Her greatest creation, Tom Ripley, is unique in American literature: The unsurpassed embodiment of amorous amorality of our time. Patricia Highsmith is best-known as the author of "The Talented Mr. Ripley", which was the basis of a fine film by Anthony Minghella, with Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jude Law. She wrote five "Ripley" novels in all and the third one, "Ripley's Game", became the basis of yet another fine film, by the great Italian director Liliana Cavani, with John Malkovich as the older (and more assured) Tom Ripley. Alfred Hitchcock was among the first to see her unique genius and adapted her debut novel, "Strangers On A Train", into one of his greatest films. An absolute "must-have" title for Patricia Highsmith collectors. This copy is one of the Limited Slipcased Edition, indicated/numbered as such on the Front Limitation Page. It is very prominently and beautifully numbered and signed in black pen by Patricia Highsmith. This title is a great book. This is one of few copies of the Limited Edition still available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright, a pristine beauty. Please note: Highsmith signed few copies of her books, almost all of them to people she knew and was close to. Her Limited Editions are most collectors' best chance of getting a reasonably-priced signed book by her. A rare signed copy thus. Regarded by Gore Vidal as "one of our great modernist writers". One of the greatest writers of the 20th century. A fine collectible copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER PATRICIA HIGHSMITH TITLES IN OUR CATALOG). ISBN 0892961376.

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