The Fifty Year Sword [Hardcover]

Mark Z Danielewski (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2005

FREE DELIVERY CONFIRMATION. Ships from CO; handled directly from Amsterdam. NEVER OPENED. English edition. Hardcover in dust jacket; overall great condition, wrapped in plastic. There is slight shelf-wear to the dust jacket, and the top corners (the cover and the dust jacket, not the pages themselves) are bent in a little bit (I am happy to send a picture if you'd like). The interior, however, is in perfect, pristine condition-- no writing on any of the pages, pages perfectly crisp, spine and binding fully intact! If you purchase here, I will mail the package within one day (often the same day) with free Delivery Confirmation so you can track it! (And, this is an amazingly brilliant read with stunning art!)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 100 pages
• Publisher: De Bezige BIJ; First Edition edition (2005)
• Language: Dutch
• ISBN-10: 9023418778
• ISBN-13: 978-9023418771
• Product Dimensions: 12.8 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,775,935 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing experimentation, but a little expensive May 14, 2009

By A. Davenport

Format:Hardcover

I am biased towards much of MZD's work, though I am not a huge fan of *Only Revolutions,* because of the amazing impression that *House of Leaves* made upon me; so when I came across this title I was intrigued, but the price made me a little skeptical. After two years of debating, though, I shelled out the money, and I am not in the least disappointed.
The story is less experimental than some of MZD's other works, which some may find refreshing; but there is still an element of a raw-edge to the work. Characters are designated by small, colored apostrophes, and it is easy to forget who is speaking; creating one continuous narrative. The effect of this is mesmerizing and beautiful.
The one thing that is a slight issue is the price, and I would suggest looking around for good prices, the forum for *The Fifty Year Sword,* or T5YS as it is known among fans, at [...] is very helpful in this regard. The sellers at amazon, though, are always reliable and good people to go with. In the end I was happy with my purchase, because not only is the book undoubtedly worth it, but it is sure to become a sought after work in years to come.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars MZD up to his usual tricks, a great (short) read November 22, 2012

By WEva

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I am a great admirer of MZD's work, and T50YS is no exception. I actually tracked down an original 50pg copy from the Netherlands last year for quite a hefty sum, and am both disappointed and delighted that it is now widely available at such a low price. Don't let the number of pages fool you, it is exactly the same story, just reformatted to a lofty 298pgs with more artistic inserts and less words per page. It is no mater, the novela is just as powerful, filled with eccentric characters and an intricately woven plot that is so mysterious it will keep the reader coming back for 2nd and 3rd helpings. MZD is one of the few authors who is trying to expand the medium of literature while simultaneously interact and engage the reader. MZD reminds us that literature can be more than just words on a page.

17 of 23 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Chilling tale April 16, 2007

By Dawn

Format:Hardcover

Let me start by saying, I am a huge MZD fan. When I heard abot TFYS I had to read it. The cost was a bit much though. Finally, I got this book for my birthday and I was the happiest girl around. When I sat down to read it, I realized this book isn't very long. There aren't many words per page. It is, an excellent story, I read the book in one sitting. In fact, I couldn't put it down. But, for the price, I expected a bit more. If you liked House of Leaves, then you should read it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Intriguing January 5, 2013

By Zach

Format:Hardcover

I had the pleasure of seeing the author, MZD, read this live in its entirety. This experience was amazing and wholly engrossing. However, I now realize that the author's words and musical accompaniment only accentuated aspects of the text. Reading the book again--and the book is short enough to read in one sitting--makes me realize that nothing is lost and this is not a performance piece. This is a standalone story that is beautifully written, thought provoking, and extremely well-designed from a typographic perspective. Note that this is not at all like MZD's House of Leaves, but is just as good in very different ways.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Unboxing of the Deluxe Edition December 10, 2012

By Richard A. Bretschneider

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Length: 9:17 Mins

I covered the boxed edition's construction, typography, and binding in a video unboxing for a recent entry of my blog.

I hope this will give those of you trying to decide if the deluxe edition of the book is worth your money.

I was very happy with the presentation and construction, and I expect any Danielewski fan will be as well.

You can see the whole review and higher quality video at [...]

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Check your library first December 6, 2012

By Kristine Cook

Format:Hardcover

After reading and loving House of Leaves, I've looked for other books by Danieleswki for a while. It was by total chance that I wandered by this one on the new book shelf at the library, and I eagerly snapped it up.

Obviously I knew to expect something strange and experimental, but HoL, this is not. The story revolves around a housekeeper and five orphans who have gathered for a party. There, they hear a tale from a story teller about the eponymous sword. However, all that exists are sparse snippets in quotation marks that are color-coded to each character (though it hardly seemed to matter who was speaking). There are times the narrative is confusing, intentionally, but overall there was a rather coherent story once I got into the right rhythm.

I debated between three and four stars. The confusion did begin grating on my nerves and the story that is there didn't seem overly original if you striped away the packaging. It wasn't a bad way to spend an hour, but it also probably won't cross my mind again.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Worth a read. Not worth a buy. November 25, 2012

By Zachary J. Colston

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Since the underground hit of House of Leaves, I have been an avid fan of Mark Danielewski. I have waited for a new novel by him for many years. I could not wait to get it. But I was let down by the image that the book presents. I.e. many people will by it strictly because they like House of Leaves. But The Fifty Year Sword does not compared to that master piece of literature at all. It does not even compare to Only Revolutions, which was not that great. Mark's popular work has always been experimental, and that is what I love about him. The Fifty Year Sword is experimental, but it is not a novel; I do not think, by word, count that it is a novella. There is about six or seven lines on each page, only on the front. Each "character" is color coordinated, but there is not a need for different colors; the only person telling the story is the narrator, and the "man" with the sword.

To be fair the story was very interesting and I plan on reading it again. It only took me about an hour and a half to read the entire book. And that included starring at the magnificent artwork embedded here and there.

I would recommend finding this book at a book store and try to read it. Or rent it from a library. Unless you are a hardcore fan, which I am, who only wants the book to shine on their shelf, do not buy. It is a little over a hundred page, not using the backs, with images. So, the way a regular novel goes it may be twenty pages, and I am being generous.