This year, Absolute Beginners by Colin MacInnes is 60 years old. Yes, the grandaddy of youth culture novels is more or less a pensioner. But despite this milestone being reached, the standalone book is out of print and showing no sign of a reissue. Enter eBay.
You can buy the entire London Trilogy in one edition, but if you just want the book, secondhand is where to go. Why should you want it? Well, to be honest, it's still the finest piece of mod fiction on the market and for me, the only book to really capture the essence of mod, despite the intervening years. If you have any interest in the subject, you should read it. Simple as that.
The misjudged movie did do one positive thing, it threw out a large number of copies of the book, most available on eBay now for around the £3 mark. A bargain. Especially for a book you'll read again and again.
Copies of the Absolute Beginners book on eBay
I own the 80’s edition pictured here, the mid 60’s paperback edition, I used to own a copy the US hardback first edition – but gave that as a gift to a friend – but my prize posession is a 1959 Uk first edition copy – that was ‘The Times Library’ copy – proven by a faded stamp procaliming that hidden under the rear dust jacket! Bliss. Still the best book for anyone remotely hip! Still a huge shame about the film though….