Conrad, Joseph

8vo, first edition, corrected state, presentation copy inscribed by Conrad on front free endpaper to Mr and Mrs G.F.W. Hope ("To Mr and Mrs G.F.W. Hope with the author's love Someries. 1908"), 40 pp. publisher's catalogue dated June 1908 at end, half title and title page cancelled and pasted to a stub, original dark blue smooth cloth lettered in gilt on spine and in dark red on upper cover, collector's blue half morocco folding box, some splitting at gutter, light spotting to edges, fading to spine, tiny tears to final two leaves of publisher's catalogue

Mr and Mrs G.F.W. Hope (authorial inscription); Pierre S. DuPont III; Christie's New York, October 8, 1991, lot 54

Cagle A13a(2)

A collection of six highly varied stories originally written by Conrad in the period 1905-1907 and all previously published in periodicals. Writing to his publisher before publication, the author observed "It's difficult to find a general definition of the stories. They are varied. No monotony is to be feared either in feeling or incident...They are just stories in which I've tried my best to be simply entertaining..." (see Collected Letters, IV, pp.29-30). Only two copies of the first, pre-publication state are known to exist. Regarding G.F.W. Hope, see lot 205.