Malafrena (1979) Signed First Edition Reference

Malafrena is Le Guin’s novel of Orsinia — the fictional Central European country from Orsinian Tales. Published by Putnam in 1979, the novel follows a young man drawn into revolutionary politics in a country struggling for independence. Written in the style of a nineteenth-century European novel, Malafrena demonstrates Le Guin’s ability to work entirely outside genre conventions.

First Edition Identification

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, New York Publication date: 1979 Format: Hardcover in dust jacket

Signed Copy Market Values

• Signed first edition, fine/fine: $75–$200
• Unsigned first edition: $10–$25

An outlier in the Le Guin bibliography — a non-genre historical novel that reveals the breadth of her literary ambitions.