The Abortion: An Historical Romance 1966. (Inscribed and Signed) Richard Brautigan Fiction & Poetry

New York: Simon and Schuster, (1971). Small octavo (8 × 5¼ in.). 226 pp. Second paperback printing. Minor rubbing and edge stains; spine sunned; bottom and fore edges of text block stained (not affecting pages); bookseller s rubber stamp on inside front cover. Good. Inscribed with a characteristically playful note by Brautigan on the title page: "For Allen, With much love and understanding and hope for happiness in the future, Rich. Notice: This Book is Slightly Read." A warm inscription capturing Brautigan s distinctive mix of intimacy and irony. Brautigan s surreal 1971 novel, subtitled "An Historical Romance 1966," unfolds within a fantastical library that accepts any manuscript offered, blurring the line between art and everyday life. Written at the height of his counter-cultural fame, it reflects his recurring themes of tenderness, absurdity, and the redemptive power of imagination.