Although Donleavy began work on the novel A Fairy Tale of New York following completion of The Ginger Man, his second completed and published novel was A Singular Man. His interview in Paris Review # 63 (see JPD Interviews for more) explains why he found it impossible at the time to finish A Fairy Tale of New York but was able to write A Singular Man.
As if
Donleavy hadn't had enough publishing woes with The
Ginger Man, Little, Brown & Co. gave him grief by delaying publication
of A Singular Man, claiming their legal department had become concerned
with possible obscenity litigation that might arise if the book were to be
published unexpurgated. Now quite well-experienced in dealing with publishers,
Donleavy drafted a letter to Little, Brown & Co., threatening to sue for
breech of contract if the book, as submitted, was not published in short order.
His sizable amount of damages asked (down to the penny) panicked the publishers
making them think Donleavy had found some legal precedent unknown to them,
and they relented and published the book.
In several interviews, when asked if he has a favorite of his works, Donleavy
states, A Singular Man.
Hunter S. Thompson had this to say about A Singular Man, "...like
sitting down to an evening of good whiskey and mad laughter in a rare conversation
somewhere on the edge of reality."
A
Singular Man
Cloth
| Atlantic Monthly Press/Little, Brown & Co., Boston, November, 1963 -
402 pages
First trade edition. According to an interview with publisher Seymour Lawrence, the cover art was based on the actual manuscript as submitted by Donleavy.
A
Singular Man
Cloth
| The Bodley Head (an imprint of Penguin), London, 1964 - 340 pages
One of three, "first UK edition" variants, the only difference being the colors on the dust jacket, this one having orange-red boxes around the spine and front cover titles and subheads.
To purchase books by J.P. Donleavy, go to the Buyers' Guide.
A
Singular Man
Cloth
| The Bodley Head (an imprint of Penguin), London, 1964 - 340 pages
First UK edition, "blue" variant.
A
Singular Man
Cloth
| The Bodley Head (an imprint of Penguin), London, 1964 - 340 pages
First UK edition, "yellow" variant.
Ein
ängstlicher Held
Cloth
| Kindler, Germany, 1964 - 417 pages
German translation.
A
Singular Man
Cloth
| Atlantic Monthly Press/Little, Brown & Co., Boston, 19?? (no publication
date given) - 402 pages
2nd Atlantic/Little, Brown printing. No date given apart from the original copyright date of 1963. Dust jacket and boards identical to first printing.
A
Singular Man
Cloth
| Atlantic Monthly Press/Little, Brown & Co., Boston, 19?? (no publication
date given) - 402 pages
3rd Atlantic/Little, Brown printing. No date given apart from the original copyright date of 1963. Dust jacket and boards identical to first printing.
Den
enestående mand
Wraps
| Gyldendal, Copenhagen, 1965 | ISBN 971932670
Danish translation.
A
Singular Man
Wraps
| Penguin, Middlesex, England, 1966 - 349 pages
First UK paperback edition. Black covers and spine.
En
Säregen Man
Wraps
| Bonniers boktryckeri, Stockholm, 1966 - 296 pages
Swedish
translation.
Special thanks to Gareth
Griffiths for providing the cover scan and publishing info for this edition.
Un
uomo singolare
Binding?
| Garzanti, Milano, 1966 - 404 pages
Italian translation.
A
Singular Man
Wraps
| Penguin, Middlesex, England, 1967 - 349 pages
2nd Penguin printing. Black covers with orange spine.
A
Singular Man
Cloth
| Delacorte Press, New York, 1967 - 402 pages
First Delacorte edition.
A
Singular Man
Wraps
| Dell, New York, September 1967 - 304 pages
First US paperback edition.
Kawatta
Otoko
Cloth
| Kawade Shobo Shinsha, Tokyo, 1967 - 349 pages
Japanese translation. From the library of J.P. Donleavy. Cover photos by Bill Dunn. Very special thanks to J.P. Donleavy and Bill Dunn for this addition to the Compendium site.
Den
enestående mand
Cloth
| Gyldendals Bogklub, 1967 | 359 pages
Danish book club edition.
Anteeksiantamaton herra Smith
Binding?
| Hki: Otava, 1967
Finnish translation.
UN
Hombre Extraño
Cloth
| Luis de Caralt/Colección-Gigante, Barcelona, 1968
Spanish
translation. (Also titled "UN Hombre Singular" on front end paper).
From the library of J.P. Donleavy. Cover photograph by Bill Dunn. Very special
thanks to J.P. Donleavy and Bill Dunn for this addition to the Compendium
site.
Ein ängstlicher Held
Cloth
| Kindler, München, 1968. 420 pages.
German translation. From the library of J.P. Donleavy. Cover photograph by Bill Dunn. Very special thanks to J.P. Donleavy and Bill Dunn for this addition to the Compendium site.
A
Singular Man
Wraps
| Dell, New York, April, 1968 - 304 pages
2nd Dell printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Delta, (an imprint of Dell) New York, September 1968 - 402 pages
First Delta printing.
A
Singular Man
Wraps
| Penguin, Middlesex, England, 1969 - 349 pages
3rd Penguin printing, with slightly different front cover from previous printings and completely different back cover.
A
Singular Man
Wraps
| Dell, New York, 1970 - 304 pages
3rd Dell printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Penguin, Middlesex, England, 1970 - 349 pages
4th Penguin printing.
Un homme singulier
Wraps
| Denoël, Paris 1971 - 381 pages
French translation.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Penguin, Middlesex, England, 1971 - 349 pages
5th Penguin printing.
A Singular Man
Cloth
| The Bodley Head (an imprint of Penguin), London 1972 - ISBN 0370005724 -
340 pages
2nd Bodley Head printing with entirely new dust jacket art. Dark gray boards.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Penguin, Middlesex, England, 1973 - ISBN 140024476 - 349
pages
6th Penguin printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Dell, Laurel edition, September, 1973 - ISBN 0440379416 - 304 pages
First Dell Laurel printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Dell, Laurel edition, December, 1973 - ISBN 0440379416 - 304 pages
2nd Dell Laurel printing.
A
Singular Man
Wraps
| Dell, New York, 1973 - ISBN 0440379415 - 304 pages
4th Dell printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Dell, Laurel edition, August, 1975 - ISBN 0440379416 - 304 pages
3rd Dell Laurel printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Penguin, Middlesex, England, 1975 - ISBN 140024476 - 349 pages
7th Penguin printing.
En säregen man
Wraps | Wahlström & Widstrand, Stockholm, 1975
2nd Swedish translation.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Penguin, Middlesex, England, 1977 - ISBN 140024476 - 349 pages
8th Penguin printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Penguin, Middlesex, England, 1978 - ISBN 140024476 - 349 pages
9th Penguin printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Dell, Laurel edition, June, 1979- ISBN 0440379416 - 304 pages
4th Dell Laurel printing.
A Singular Man
Cloth | The Bodley Head (an imprint of Penguin), London 1979 - ISBN 0370005724 - 340 pages
3rd Bodley Head printing. Same DJ as second printing, but boards are grayish-green.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Penguin, Middlesex, England, 1979 - ISBN 140024476 - 349 pages
10th Penguin printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Penguin, Middlesex, England, 1983 - ISBN 140024476 - 349 pages
11th Penguin printing.
Een man zonder weerga
Wraps | Meulenhaoff, Amsterdam 1984 - ISBN 9029011106 - 379 pages
Dutch translation. From the library of J.P. Donleavy. Cover photo by Bill Dunn. Very special thanks to J.P. Donleavy and Bill Dunn for this addition to the Compendium site.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Penguin, London, England, 1985 - ISBN 140024476 - 349 pages
12th Penguin printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Penguin, London, England, 1987 - ISBN 140024476 - 349 pages
14th Penguin printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Atlantic Monthly Press (now Grove/Atlantic) New York, 1989 - ISBN 0971132656
- 402 pages
First AMP printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Atlantic Monthly Press (now Grove/Atlantic) New York, 1989 - ISBN 0971132656
- 402 pages
2nd. AMP printing.
Un hombre singular
Cloth
| Edhasa, Barcelona, 1989 - ISBN 8435008053 - 424 pages
Spanish translation. As of Jan., 2000, still available from publisher.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Atlantic Monthly Press (now Grove/Atlantic) New York, 1990 - ISBN 0971132656
- 402 pages
3rd. AMP printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Atlantic Monthly Press (now Grove/Atlantic) New York, 1990 - ISBN 0971132656
- 402 pages
4th. AMP printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Atlantic Monthly Press (now Grove/Atlantic) New York, 1990 - ISBN 0971132656
- 402 pages
5th. AMP printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Atlantic Monthly Press (now Grove/Atlantic) New York, 1991 - ISBN 0971132656
- 402 pages
6th. AMP printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Atlantic Monthly Press (now Grove/Atlantic) New York, 1992 - ISBN 0971132656
- 402 pages
7th. AMP printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Atlantic Monthly Press (now Grove/Atlantic) New York, 1993 - ISBN 0971132656
- 402 pages
8th. AMP printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Atlantic Monthly Press (now Grove/Atlantic) New York, 1993 - ISBN 0971132656
- 402 pages
9th. AMP printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Atlantic Monthly Press (now Grove/Atlantic) New York, 1994 - ISBN 0971132656
- 402 pages
9th. AMP printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Atlantic Monthly Press (now Grove/Atlantic) New York, 1994 - ISBN 0971132656
- 402 pages
10th. AMP printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Atlantic Monthly Press (now Grove/Atlantic) New York, 1995 - ISBN 0971132656
- 402 pages
11th. AMP printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Atlantic Monthly Press (now Grove/Atlantic) New York, 1995 - ISBN 0971132656
- 402 pages
12th. AMP printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Atlantic Monthly Press (now Grove/Atlantic) New York, 1996 - ISBN 0971132656
- 402 pages
13th. AMP printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Atlantic Monthly Press (now Grove/Atlantic) New York, 1996 - ISBN 0971132656
- 402 pages
14th. AMP printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Atlantic Monthly Press (now Grove/Atlantic) New York, 1996 - ISBN 0971132656
- 402 pages
15th. AMP printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Atlantic Monthly Press (now Grove/Atlantic) New York, 1997 - ISBN 0971132656
- 402 pages
16th. AMP printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Atlantic Monthly Press (now Grove/Atlantic) New York, 1997 - ISBN 0971132656
- 402 pages
17th. AMP printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Atlantic Monthly Press (now Grove/Atlantic) New York, 1998 - ISBN 0971132656
- 402 pages
18th. AMP printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Atlantic Monthly Press (now Grove/Atlantic) New York, 1999 - ISBN 0971132656
- 402 pages
19th AMP printing.
A Singular Man
Wraps
| Atlantic Monthly Press (now Grove/Atlantic) New York, 2002 - ISBN 0971132656
- 402 pages
20th AMP printing.
Un hombre singular
Sudameridana, Buenos Aires, Feb.. 20, 2007
Argentine translation.
A Singular Man
Amazon.com ebook, Kindle format, 2010
And Sony ebook store, "Reader" format, 2010
