The Universal Baseball Association, Inc. (Inscribed by Author)

New York: Random House, 1968

8vo (21.2 x 14.5 x 2.6cm) 242pp. Original hardcover binding with dust jacket. Top edge stained dark green.

Inscribed by the author to the late South African poet and novelist Stephen Gray. Includes a postcard signed by author, and two newspaper clippings of reviews of this book.

The Universal Baseball Association, Inc., J. Henry Waugh, Prop. is Robert Coover's second novel, published in 1968. Robert Coover's work here delves into deep philosophical issues, one of which most certainly is the notion of creationism. Henry, through his game, has become a "god" of sorts. His game determines who lives and who dies, who fails and who succeeds. John Sexton, president of New York University, called the book "the best book written about baseball by anyone", a "Joycean world, where a character has on his kitchen table a game run by the roll of dice, in which he's created an alternative baseball league that's more real to him than his life and real baseball.” (Wikipedia.com)

Condition: Very good. The dust jacket has some rubbing, a few small closed tears (less than 1cm) and some repairs to top of spine made with clear adhesive tape. Light rubbing to the boards and spine. Some browning to front pastedown and free endpaper, where the postcard and clippings have been loosely inserted. Previous owner's signature to front free endpaper. A small crease to the bast page. Text is clean, and copy is well bound.