William Styron

The Confessions of Nat Turner

originally published:
New York : Random House
1967

We offered this inscribed copy of the first edition in our List 33.

awards:

  • Pulitzer Prize for Fiction(1968)
  • Time Magazine 100 Novels(1967)

reference info

bio notes:
born: 6/11/1925
died: 11/1/2006
born as: William Clark Styron, Jr.
nationality: USA

American novelist noted for his treatment of tragic themes and his use of a rich, classical prose style. - Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature

Collecting tips:

Styron is something of an American literary icon, so its a little surprising that his books don't command a little bit more of a premium, probably the result of early success and subsequent relatively large first printings of his work. His first book, Lie Down in 'Darkness, (1951) is a proven winner, but one would probably want to go for a superior copy, as copies in middling condition are pretty available at relatively inexpensive prices. His NBA winning Sophie's Choice, (1979 - issued in both a limited and trade edition) is relatively inexpensive, but the trade editions is deceptively scarce with an unfaded spine - the pale yellow jacket spine tends to bleach out very easily. His Pulitzer-winning The Confessions of Nat Turner, (1967 - also issued in both trade and limited editions) was very controversial, and while it is a collected book, there seems to have been a print run of the first editions that is sufficient to keep the price reasonable.

We also offer a comprehensive William Styron Bibliography and Price Guide.