VICTORY: AN ISLAND TALE (First edition - first printing)

First printing of the first edition with 'First Published in 1915' on the printer's page. First state of the title page with the comma present after Essex Street and with no final full stop after 'W.C'., and with a 4pp publisher's advert, dated Autumn 1915 and a 31pp publishers catalogue, dated 8/5/15 bound in at the rear. Also with 'Methven' on the spine - later issues have 'Methuen'. The only state earlier than this has a Spring 1915 publisher's advert. This first UK edition also has a two-page Author's Note at the beginning of the book. Published in September 1915, 8,000 copies were printed (Wise 25 - Thomas J. Wise - A Bibliography of the Writings of Joseph Conrad (1895-1921) ***Very good in red cloth-covered boards with gilt titles and floral decorations to the spine. The gilt is still quite bright. The boards are quite clean, with just some marks commensurate with age and handling over the years - mainly on the front board. The head and tail of the spine are slightly rubbed and creased, and slightly frayed at the top edge, but with no tears to the fragile cloth. There is no splitting at the spine, and no reading lean to the binding. No bumping - just slight creasing to the corners. The spine is darkened but without any reading creases. The top edge of the page block is slightly darkened. The top edge of the page block is slightly darkened. No foxing to the page block edges, and only minimal foxing internally, mainly affecting the prelims and last couple of pages. Internally very good, with no inscriptions or offsetting to the pastedowns. No serious creases or tears except for some light creasing to a few of the top corners (pp.184-214). Spine tight. No dustwrapper. ***415 pages plus the 4-page publisher's advert of 'Methuen's Popular Novels' and the 31pp catalogue of 'A Selection of Books Published by Methuen' at the back of the book, correctly dated Autumn 1915 and 8/5/15 respectively. 196mm x 132mm. ***'"Victory" (also published as "Victory: An Island Tale") is a psychological novel by Joseph Conrad first published in 1915, through which Conrad achieved "popular success." The novel's "most striking formal characteristic is its shifting narrative and temporal perspective", with the first section from the viewpoint of a sailor, the second from an omniscient perspective of Axel Heyst, the third from an interior perspective from Heyst, and the final section has an omniscient narrator. It has been adapted into film a number of times.' (Wiki) ***First printing of the true first edition of Joseph Conrad's "Victory - An Island Tale" - in the original publisher's red cloth-covered gilt-decorated boards, in very good condition for a book now over a hundred years old. ***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.…