La Hojarasca.

GARCIA MARQUEZ, Gabriel.

$15,000.00

Item Number: 5052

Bogota: Ediciones- S.L.B., 1955.

First edition of the Nobel Prize-winning author’s first book. Octavo, original illustrated wrappers by artist Cecilia Porras. Signed by the translator Gregory Rabassa on the half-title page, with the opening sentence transcribed, “Nada en este mundo debe ser mas tremendo que los escombros de un hombre. Gregory Rabassa.” Rabassa was the translator of La Hojaraca into English and Cien Anos de Soledad. Laid in is the original Bogota bookseller’s bookmark. Garcia Marquez has been quoted as saying that prior to the publication of One Hundred Years of Solitude none of his books had sold more than 700 copies. Despite the poor sales and even after the success of Cien Anos de Soledad, Garcia Marquez described La Hojarasca as the favorite of his own works because of its spontaneity and honesty. In near fine condition. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. This present example was purchased upon publication and well-cared for. This is by far the nicest example we have seen.

La Hojarosca was first published in Bogota, Columbia in 1955, later translated into English and published in 1972, as The Leaf Storm. Widely celebrated as the first appearance of Macondo, the fictitious village later celebrated in One Hundred Years of Solitude, La Hojarosca was a testing ground for many of the themes and characters later immortalized in One Hundred Years of Solitude. "Garcia Marquez has extraordinary strength and firmness of imagination and writes with the calmness of a man who knows exactly what wonders he can perform" (Alfred Kazin, New York Times Book Review).