Exquisite pain

Sophie Calle.

Thames & Hudson. London. 2004. First English edition. Originally published in French in 2003. Hardback, quarto; grey cloth-bound boards with red titles, metallic red to all edges. 282 pages. Illustrated throughout in colour. English. 195 x 105mm. 0.45kg. 9780500511985. Near fine; original publisher's price sticker to rear board, slight fraying to ribbon marker.

'I left for Japan on October 25, 1984, unsuspecting that this date would mark the beginning of a 92 day countdown to the end of a love affair. Nothing extraordinary - but to me, at the time, the unhappiest moment in my life.'

A cathartic photo book by the French artist Sophie Calle exploring the heart-ache of a recent break up. The book begins with photographs and texts from Calle's Japan trip, counting down the unsuspecting days until the end of the relationship. Following the split Calle, on her return to France, sought solace by repeating the story of her heartbreak and asking friends and strangers to describe their own moments of intense suffering. 99 days are chronicled with words and photos springing from these conversations. An exhibition was staged, the book was published and the pain was exhausted.