Australian author Peter Carey began his illustrious career as a short story writer, his first published collection being The Fat Man in History. I do not have a copy of this book, but I do have in Picador editions his collection Exotic Pleasures, and his first novel Bliss.
Angela Carter’s novel Heroes and Villains, was one of the first Picador books issued in 1972 and also represents for me the discovery of her work. I subsequently went on to collect a lot of her later books in hardcover first editions. The Picador cover shows The Temptation of St Anthony a portion of the Isenheim Altarpiece by Grunewald
Bruce Chatwin, noted novelist and travel writer gained popularity from the publication his first book, In Patagonia, a travel book that seized the imagination of the reading public with its then unusual approach to travel writing. I did have a Picador edition of this book, but it has gone missing in action. I do however still have his wonderful novel On The Black Hill which remains one of my all time favourite novels, and two shorter novels Utz and The Viceroy of Ouida.
An odd writer, Lindsay Clarke ,wrote a couple of unusual metaphysical romance novels, The Chymical Wedding and Alice’s Masque. I have read them, and though not blown away by the story, remember them being an enjoyable reading experience.
Next – Dali to Gurdjieff
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