The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. The novel sweeps the reader from an orderly English home to the secrets and treasures of Istanbul, through the countryside of Romania, to Budapest and the cities of Bulgaria. Along the way it takes in famous old libraries, ancient monasteries, and personal stories told across different timelines, all converging on the question of what really happened to the historical figure behind the Dracula legend, and whether his story truly ended in the fifteenth century. Rich in historical detail and with a remarkable sense of place, this is an absorbing read for anyone drawn to history, mystery, and the atmosphere of Europe and beyond.
Softcover, fine condition, first printing. No creasing to the spine. Boards are clean and unmarked, and the pages are clean and unmarked throughout. First Back Bay paperback printing of The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova, published by Back Bay Books, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company in 2006, following the novel's original hardcover publication by Little, Brown and Company in 2005. A multigenerational Gothic tale of a scholar's search for the truth behind the Dracula legend, It was the first debut novel to reach number one on the New York Times bestseller list in its first week on sale. Winner of the 2005 Quill Award for Debut Author and the 2006 Book Sense Book of the Year for Best Adult Fiction.
This first printing hardcover is in fine condition, with clean pages. The boards and gilt spine lettering are pristine, and the dust jacket is unmarked. The Historian is the debut novel of American author Elizabeth Kostova, published in 2005 by Little, Brown and Company. It was the first debut novel to reach number one on the New York Times bestseller list in its first week on sale, and as of its publication year was the fastest-selling hardback debut novel in US history. Winner of the 2005 Quill Award for Debut Author and the 2006 Book Sense Book of the Year for Best Adult Fiction. Kostova took ten years to research and write the novel, drawing on her Yale education and the Dracula stories her father told her as a child.
