THE BODY-SNATCHER
by Stevenson, Robert Louis
- Used
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Yarmouth, Maine, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
1895. Illustrated. New York: The Merriam Company, n.d. [1895]. 3 pp undated ads. Original violet cloth decorated in dark violet.
First Edition, issued as the second volume in Merriam's "Violet Series." This is Stevenson's famous tale about the anatomist "K---" and his need for cadavres (based undoubtedly upon the career of Robert Knox, 1793-1862); the 1945 film of the same title starred Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. RLS actually wrote this tale in mid-1881, to be part of a collection of supernatural tales which he referred to as "creepers"; he never completed the project, but a few of the tales remain. Ironically this grisly tale's first appearance was in the Pall Mall Gazette's 1884 Christmas Extra (substituted at the last moment for a briefer RLS tale, in order to fulfill a commitment of sufficient length). It is equally ironic that such a grisly story would first appear in book form in this cute little violet volume decorated with flowers. This is a near-fine copy, with minor cover soil but scarcely any wear; atypically, the spine lettering is easily legible, and there is no bubbling of the cloth. Beinecke 608.
First Edition, issued as the second volume in Merriam's "Violet Series." This is Stevenson's famous tale about the anatomist "K---" and his need for cadavres (based undoubtedly upon the career of Robert Knox, 1793-1862); the 1945 film of the same title starred Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. RLS actually wrote this tale in mid-1881, to be part of a collection of supernatural tales which he referred to as "creepers"; he never completed the project, but a few of the tales remain. Ironically this grisly tale's first appearance was in the Pall Mall Gazette's 1884 Christmas Extra (substituted at the last moment for a briefer RLS tale, in order to fulfill a commitment of sufficient length). It is equally ironic that such a grisly story would first appear in book form in this cute little violet volume decorated with flowers. This is a near-fine copy, with minor cover soil but scarcely any wear; atypically, the spine lettering is easily legible, and there is no bubbling of the cloth. Beinecke 608.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Sumner & Stillman (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 15245
- Title
- THE BODY-SNATCHER
- Author
- Stevenson, Robert Louis
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Date Published
- 1895
- Keywords
- Horror; Fantasy; Anatomy; Medicine
- Bookseller catalogs
- Fiction (19th Century); Science Fiction & Fantasy;
Terms of Sale
Sumner & Stillman
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
Sumner & Stillman
Biblio member since 2009
Yarmouth, Maine
About Sumner & Stillman
Founded in 1980, Sumner & Stillman is a small family business providing personal service in the buying and selling of literary first editions of the 19th and early 20th Centuries. Member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA) for over 30 years.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- New
- A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...