The Invention of Love
New York: Grove Press, 1998. 1st Paperback Printing. Octavo, publisher’s stiff illustrated paper wraps.
First paperback printing of the late British playwright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard’s drama tracing the life and work of classical scholar and poet A.E. Housman, signed by him on the title page. A towering figure of postwar British theater, Stoppard, born in Czechoslovakia and raised in England, rose from a career in journalism to become a playwright whose work famously married wit with philosophical depth, earning him both critical distinction and popular acclaim. Considered his finest (and most esoteric) play, "The Invention of Love" features Houseman speaking from the afterlife, reflecting upon his youth and friendships (including his unrequited love for Moses Jackson), his academic disappointments, and his development into a leading Latin textual scholar. Originally published in hardcover in 1997. Fine. Item #12086
$75.00