Broom of the System

1987. First Edition. Signed. WALLACE, David Foster. The Broom of the System. (New York): Penguin, (1987). Octavo, pictorial white paper wrappers. $2000.First edition, softcover issue, of Wallace’s acclaimed debut novel, signed on the title page by David Foster Wallace.In the tradition of Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49, Wallace's first novel, written while he was a 24-year-old MFA student, ""attempts to give us a portrait, through a combination of Joycean word games, literary parody and zany picaresque adventure, of a contemporary America run amok… Wallace possesses a wealth of talents—a finely-tuned ear for contemporary idioms; an old-fashioned story-telling gift (as evidenced, in particular, by the stories within stories contained in this novel); a seemingly endless capacity for invention and an energetic refusal to compromise"" (New York Times). The hardcover (Viking) and softcover (Penguin) issues were published simultaneously. Usual mild toning to interior. A fine signed copy.