About this Item
Second edition, published during the early years of the First World War in 1915 in "The Readers' Library". The book was first published by Duckworth in 1912. This copy retains the very scarce original printed dustwrapper. Interestingly, the printed author's name is W. M. Garshin but the author's first name was Vsevolod. ***Very good in petrol-blue cloth-covered boards with gilt titles and borders to the spine and decorative blind Duckworth monograms to the front and rear boards. The gilt is still beautifully bright, having been protected by the dustwrapper. The boards are clean and unmarked. The head and tail of the spine are slightly creased. Corners fairly sharp, with just slight bumps to the top corners. There is also a bump and crease to the bottom edge of the front board. The top edge of the page block is slightly darkened, and the fore-edge is slightly foxed. Light foxing to the first and last few pages, otherwise interior pages clean. No inscriptions, but there is the remains of a period label to the front free endpaper. There is some light vertical creasing to the last page of the catalogue [thinner paper used] and the rear free endpaper. Spine tight. ***In the original dustwrapper which is complete without any loss. There is an old 3/6 price sticker over the original printed price on the spine of the dustwrapper. The spine of the dustwrapper has a closed tear at the top and is slightly browned. There is a vertical crease to the front flap [please see scans]. ***194 mm x 135 mm. 356 pages, plus a 20pp publisher's catalogue at the back of the book. ***Contents: List of Russian Literature published by Duckworth: By Anton Tchekhoff - "The Black Monk and Other Stories", The Kiss and Other Stories, Stories of Russian Life, Plays. By Maxim Gorky - "The Spy". By W. M. Garshin - "The Signal". By Leonid Andreyef - "Plays". Preface, Biography of Garshin (1855-1888), Glossary (of Russian words). Stories: I. The Signal, II. Four Days, III. An Incident, IV. Coward, V. the Meeting, VI. A Night, VII. A Toad and a Rose, VIII. Attalea Princeps, IX. "Make-Believe", X. Officer and Soldier-Servant, XI. Nadejda Aicolaievna, XII. The Scarlet Blossom, XIII. The Bears, XIV. The Frog Who Travelled, XV. A Very Short Romance, XVI. From the Reminiscences of Private Ivanoff, XVII. The Action at Aislar. ***'I trust that this volume of short stories, translations from the Russian, may assist in promoting knowledge in England of Russia and Russians. Nowhere is there more genuine hospitality than in Russia, and in no other country is there greater or more general kindliness of feeling.' [Quote taken from the translator's Preface] ***'Vsevolod Mikhailovich Garshin (14 Feb 1855 - 5 Apr 1888) was a Russian author of short stories. He volunteered to serve in the army at the start of the Russo-Turkish War in 1877. His experiences as a soldier provide the basis for his first stories, including the very first "Four Days", based on a real incident. The narrative is organized as the interior monologue of a wounded soldier left for dead on the battlefield for four days, face to face with the corpse of a Turkish soldier he had killed. Despite early literary success, he had periodical bouts of mental illness. Garshin attempted to commit suicide by throwing himself down the stone stairs leading to his apartment building. Although not immediately fatal, he died as a result of his injuries in a hospital in April 1888, at the age of 33. [Wiki] ***Second edition, in nice collectable condition - published during the First World War. Whilst the book itself is very uncommon in first and second editions, copies in the original dustwrapper are virtually unobtainable now. The dustwrapper is a very fragile item. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc. ***. Seller Inventory # 7685
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