YOUTH: A NARRATIVE, AND TWO OTHER STORIES (First edition - first issue)

Joseph Conrad

Published by William Blackwood & Sons Ltd., Edinburgh and London, 1902

About this Item

First printing of the first edition - with the first issue publisher's catalogue dated 10/02 at the back of the book. The first edition of this collection of three novellas by Joseph Conrad, which includes the first publication in full of "Heart of Darkness", appearing here alongside "Youth: A Narrative" and "The End of the Tether". Published in November 1902, 3,150 copies were printed (Wise 10 - Thomas J. Wise - A Bibliography of the Writings of Joseph Conrad (1895-1921) ***Very good in light green cloth-covered boards with gilt titles and black floral decoration to the spine, and black titles and floral decoration to the front board. The gilt is still quite bright. The boards are clean, but slightly faded on the spine from age and handling. The boards are not faded, and retain the green colour. The head and tail of the spine are slightly rubbed and creased as usual, but there are no tears to the fragile cloth. There is slight rubbing to the cloth at the corners, but these remain sharp with just a light crease to the top corner of the front board. The top edge of the page block is darkened. The binding is nice and straight, without any reading lean. Internally, the book is also very good, with no inscriptions, and none of the usual foxing or offsetting. No splitting to the endpapers, which is often found with this book, and there is no splitting to the actual binding either which remains firm. Pages clean without any marks or annotations. There is light creasing to the top corner tips of some pages (pp. 40-120). No other creases or tears. No dustwrapper as per usual. ***375 pages plus the 32pp publisher's catalogue at the back of the book dated 10/02 on the last printed page (first state). 196mm x 138mm. ***'"Youth, a Narrative; and Two Other Stories" is a collection of three works of short fiction, originally serialized in Blackwood?s Magazine. The volume was published in 1902 by William Blackwood and Sons. The collection includes ?Heart of Darkness?, considered one of the finest examples of modern fiction. The three stories that appear in "Youth, a Narrative" were serialized in Blackwood?s Magazine previous to their collection. The month and date of their first serialization were as follows: ?Youth? (September 1898), ?Heart of Darkness? (February - April 1899), and ?The End of the Tether? (July - September 1902). After the success of the short story ?Youth? in 1898, publisher William Blackwood offered to include the story in a collection if Conrad could publish two more works. Conrad consented and these stories were the material for this, his second volume of short fiction after "Tales of Unrest" (1898).' (Wiki) ***First printing (first state) of the true first edition, which includes the first book publication of Joseph Conrad's most famous novella "Heart of Darkness" - in the original publisher's green cloth-covered gilt-decorated boards, in very good original condition for a book now over 120 years old. A collector's copy. ***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 # 9005x

Bibliographic Details

• Title: YOUTH: A NARRATIVE, AND TWO OTHER STORIES (First edition - first issue)
• Publisher: William Blackwood & Sons Ltd., Edinburgh and London
• Publication Date: 1902
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: First Edition
• Printing: First Printing
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket
• Seller catalogs:
  • Literature
  • First Editions
  • Antiquarian