Conrad, Joseph

Top copy with autograph revisions to every page in black ink, including cancelled passages and interlinear revisions, altogether about 450 words in autograph, the head of the first page signed ("First draft Joseph Conrad"), dated, and initialled in red crayon,  the foot of the last page signed, initialled, also with a signed autograph note ("Original text first draft dict[at]ed to the machine. One copy (and carbon) embodying all corr[ecti]ons made for printers Eng[lan]d and US"), and with a note in red crayon ("Ld Edition"), 10 pages numbered by hand in blue pencil, quarto (260 x 200mm, "Original Chatham Mills Kent" watermark), May 1920, bound in crushed black morocco gilt by Stikeman & Co., NY, with two typescript copies of a note incorporating a letter by Thomas J. Wise, four pages, loosely inserted

Sold by Conrad to Thomas J. Wise, 1 June 1920 (Collected Letters, VII, p.103); John A. Spoor (bookplate); sale of his library, Part 1, Parke-Bernet, New York, 26-28 April 1939, lot 201, $75; Frank L. Hogan, bookplate; sale of his library, Part 2, Parke-Bernet, New York, 24-25 April 1945, lot 176, $120; Halstead B. Vanderpoel; sale of his library, Christie's, London, 3 March 2004, lot 27, £14,340

Moore 318

Condition is described int he main body of the catalogue, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

"...For what are we to let ourselves be disturbed by an angel's vengeful music too mighty for our ears and awful for our terrors. Thus we are struck suddenly by the lightning of wrath. The reader will go on reading if the book pleases him and the critic will go on criticising with that faculty of detachment born perhaps from a sense of infinite littleness and which is yet the only faculty that seems to assimilate man to the immortal gods..."

Conrad's reflects on novel-writing and reading during wartime, as he recalls the publication of Victory at the height of World War I. This note on Victory, arguably his last masterpiece, was one of a series of notes that Conrad wrote for new editions of his novels for the uniform edition of his works published by Heinemann. As with all of his work from this period, Conrad's health prevented him from writing the text in autograph - instead he dictated the text then corrected the resultant typescript. Conrad sold this typescript to Thomas Wise in June 1920, along with the note to Shadow Line and the manuscripts to two letters written for publication. Wise ensured that Conrad signed, dated, and provided a brief background note to each typescript.