The Temple of Gold

Title: The Temple of Gold
Genre: Fiction
Author: William Goldman (1931-2018)
Illustrator: James Elliott Bama (1926-)
Publisher: Bantam Books
Year: 1965 (sixth printing of 1957 novel)
Pages: 184
Format: Paperback, Mass Market
Provenance: Unknown
Chapter Titles: The Family; The Boys; The Girls; The College; The Army; The Town; The Wife; The End.
Random Passage: "I just lay there in bed, half asleep, half not, my knee stitched, my leg bandaged. Time slipped by on me as I lay there, listening to the orderlies walk along the halls, sometimes staring out the window at the sky."
Notes: This insightful portrait of disaffected youth was critically acclaimed upon its publication, beginning Goldman's long and successful career as an author (The Princess Bride) and screenwriter. Bantam's paperback edition updates the main character's appearance to the 1960s. An early study for James Bama's cover art was recently put up for auction, revealing slight modifications (hairstyle, position of the model's left hand) for the final artwork.