THE STEPFORD WIVES
Signed first edition, association copy, of this classic 1970s satirical thriller of suburban unease — inscribed by Levin to his Random House editor, James Silberman.
Fine in a fine jacket.
"They never stop, these Stepford wives. They something something all their lives. Work like robots. Yes, that would fit. They work like robots all their lives."
Levin's best-known book after ROSEMARY'S BABY, THE STEPFORD WIVES was, like its predecessor, a huge bestseller that went on to be successfully adapted to film. Its title has entered the cultural lexicon, "a convenient shorthand for compliant women who puts the needs of men above their own desires and ambitions" (THE GUARDIAN). This copy is inscribed to "revered book editor" (THE NEW YORK TIME) Jim Silberman, who worked with Levin on this book, as well as ROSEMARY'S BABY and (just before Silberman departed for Simon & Schuster) THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL. An exceptional copy of a landmark book, one whose themes of male anxiety and women's liberation continue to resonate.
Read more: Roberts, "James Silberman, Editor Who Nurtured Literary Careers, Dies at 93," New York Times, Aug. 1, 2020; Tobias, "The Stepford Wives at 50," The Guardian, Feb. 12, 2025.
New York: Random House, (1972). 8'' x 5.25''. Original quarter beige cloth over brown boards. In original price-clipped (as always and as issued, with publisher's revised $4.95 price sticker present) color pictorial jacket designed by Paul Bacon. Front flap clipped, but with publisher's $4.95 price sticker present, as issued. [8], 152 pages. Inscribed by Levin in the month before publication on the front free endpaper: "9/72 / Dear Jim - / Whatever we've got here, / it's better because of your / wisdom and persistence. / Thanks. / Sincerely, / Ira." Bookplate "From The Library of James Silberman and Selma Shapiro" loosely laid in. Trace toning. Else bright, sharp, and tight.