ALMAYER'S FOLLY. A Story of an Eastern River

1895. London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1895. Original dark olive-green cloth.

First Edition of Joseph Conrad's first book, an edition believed to have consisted of 1000-1250 copies. Conrad, after meeting the real "Olmeijer" in East Borneo in 1887, gradually produced the manuscript of this book over the six years 1889-1895. He submitted it to Unwin for consideration in their "Pseudonym Library", using the pseudonym "Kamudi" (Malayan for "rudder") -- enclosing the return postage, so sure was he of its rejection. However, Unwin's reader Edward Garnett saw the manuscript's promise and accepted it for non-pseudonymous publication. This copy is in the first state (as are most copies), with the letters missing from the last two lines of page 110. Condition is fine, with virtually no wear at all: there are no nicks or chips in the spine ends, just minor cracking of the original endpapers. Atypically, the spine cloth is NOT browned. ALMAYER'S FOLLY has become quite scarce in this condition. Supino A1.1.0 (this copy -- with his notation on the front endpaper); Cagle A1a.1. Housed in a (scuffed) morocco-backed slipcase with felt-lined chemise. Provenance: discreet bookplate of the Conrad bibliographer David J. Supino.