THE JOURNAL OF A DISAPPOINTED MAN [in the scarce dustwrapper, with loosely inserted National Service League advertisement leaflet circa 1914-1918]

W. N. P. Barbellion [Bruce Frederick Cummings]

Published by Chatto & Windus, London, 1919

About this Item

Fourth impression of the true first edition published November 13, 1919. (The first impression was published March 31, 1919). Introduction by H. G. Wells. ***Good in dark blue cloth-covered boards with green titles and rules to white paper label to spine. Green stained top edge of text-block (as called for). Fore-edge and bottom edge of text-block untrimmed (rough-cut) as called for. Edges of boards slightly rubbed. Minuscule holes to the outer cloth of front edge of spine. Spine tight. Contemporaneous owner's initials G.W.R. P. 3/20' in black fountain pen ink to front free endpaper. A later typed plain book label: Henry Paine, 67, Pitcairn Road, Warley Woods, S. Staffs' to front pastedown. No foxing to pages. A very few underlinings and notes in soft pencil to text (can easily be erased). A hint of foxing to a very few page margins. Most pages clean. Spine tight. ***In a good plain buff colour dustwrapper with green titles to spine and front panel. Dustwrapper rubbed, darkened and discoloured. Small chips to corners of dustwrapper. Shallow chips to head and tail of spine of dustwrapper. Very shallow 2mm loss along top edge of dustwrapper. Contemporaneous owner's initials G.W.R. P. 3/20' in black fountain pen ink to front panel of dustwrapper. Edges of dustwrapper rubbed and creased with small closed tears and nicks. 1cm closed tear to top edge of rear panel of dustwrapper. 198mm x 140mm. 312 pages including synopsis and index of names to rear. ***Also loosely inserted to the fore is a rare contemporaneous, wartime Edwardian [circa 1914-1918] pink two-page leaflet, separated along its perforated edge of postal form, advertising The National Service League - illustrated with a reproduction of a black and white sketch cartoon: 'None So Deaf' from the magazine Punch. ***Wilhelm Nero Pilate Barbellion was the pen-name of Bruce Frederick Cummings. He published his diary-style essays in the book "Journal of a Disappointed Man" in March 1919, seven months before he died, apparently, of multiple sclerosis. An editor's note at the very end of the book claimed that Barbellion died on 31 Dec 1917, but Cummings in fact lived for nearly two more years. He died on 22 Oct 1919 at home in Camden Cottage, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, having recently approved the proofs of his second short volume of memoirs, 'Enjoying Life and Other Literary Remains'; a third brief volume of his very last entries, 'A Last Diary', appeared in 1920. His identity was made public through his obituaries in various newspapers, at which point his brother Henry R. Cummings gave a newspaper interview providing details of the life of "Barbellion". The strong early sales and the admiration received by The Journal of a Disappointed Man are largely forgotten by the wider reading public today, but the book has been frequently reprinted in paperback and is regarded as a classic of English literature. [Wiki] ***Bruce Frederick Cummings (1889-1919), was an English diarist. Ronald Blythe called 'The Journal of a Disappointed Man' "among the most moving diaries ever created". The diary is a literary classic and Bruce Frederick Cummings' modernist style of writing has been compared to that of Franz Kafka and James Joyce. The diary is also read by people affected by multiple sclerosis and by those who want to know more about MS, as it contains a well-portrayed account of his symptoms. [Wiki] ***Fourth impression of the true first edition, very rare to find complete in its original 1919 dustwrapper. ***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 # 3892x

Bibliographic Details

Title: THE JOURNAL OF A DISAPPOINTED MAN [in the ...

Publisher: Chatto & Windus, London

Publication Date: 1919

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Good

Dust Jacket Condition: Good

Edition: First Edition