Description
A first edition, first printing of Riders in the Chariot by Patrick Wright, published by Eyre and Spottiswoode, London in 1961. A near fine copy free from internal inscriptions, a former Australian retail sticker to front paste-down, light shelf wear to brown cloth covered boards, toning to the text block. In a price clipped near fine wrapper, chipping to the spine tips and knuckles of front and rear flap folds, toning to the spine and closed tear to upper edge of rear panel. Wrapper illustration taken from a painting by Sidney Nolan.
Riders in the Chariot by Patrick White is a profound exploration of spirituality and human suffering in suburban Australia. The novel follows four outcasts—Mrs. Godbold, a washerwoman; Mordecai Himmelfarb, a Holocaust survivor; Alf Dubbo, an Aboriginal artist; and Miss Hare, an eccentric recluse—united by visionary experiences symbolised by Ezekiel’s chariot. Their mystical insight isolates them from a materialistic, prejudiced society. White interweaves themes of faith, persecution and redemption, creating a powerful meditation on transcendence and compassion.
