![The Green Ray](https://d3525k1ryd2155.cloudfront.net/h/991/188/1607188991.0.m.jpg)
The Green Ray
by Verne, Jules
- Used
- Very Good
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- Very Good
- Seller
-
Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington. London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1883 8vo., pictorial yellow cloth by the publisher, stunningly blocked to upper board and spine in gilt and colour (brown, black and green) with an image of a crowd of people contemplating a green flash on the horizon; embossed device to lower board; all edges gilt; pale yellow endpapers; illustrated frontis, title vignette by L. Bennett and a further 43 full page engravings by various artists; a beautiful copy, the cloth remaining bright, and for the most part clean; some light rubbing, spine compressions, and bumps/creases to corners; cloth with very marginal darkening in places; prelims with very light spots; light cracking to the gutter at frontis and final page not affecting overall sturdiness of the text block; a superior example of a scarce work. First UK edition, the variant with pale yellow endpapers as opposed to the blue floral ones sometimes found with this work. Issued as such, without the 32 page of advertisements to rear. In September 1883 Sampson Low published this first English edition of The Green Ray. Originally appearing in French the previous year with the subtitle and Ten Hours Hunting, it was produced in two 8vo versions priced 5s and 6s respectively, and translated by Mary de Hauteville. The title was also published in the US in the same year, although there is no contemporary hardback American edition. Verne took the concept of green flashes, optical phenomenons which appear at sunset or sunrise, as the basis for his next Voyages Extraordinaires title. Most frequently seen from a low altitude with an unobstructed view of the horizon, the ray appears sporadically, and is sometimes seen by aeroplane pilots - in contrast to Verne's plotline, it is incredibly hard to predict if and when they will appear. Verne chose to craft a story around Helena Campbell, who reads about the ray's rejuvenating effects on both body and soul in the Morning Post. Accompanied by her two uncles Sam and Sib Melville, she sets off on a journey to discover it for herself. Part travelogue, part romance - her two would-be suitors an artist and an amateur scientist - the novel is one of three which Verne set in Scotland, after being inspired by a short visit he took on a tour by steamer from the Clyde to Oban, Iona, and Staffa. The book was reviewed well in British Papers, with comparisons made with other popular English writers: ""The influence.is evident in this novel. The Scottish setting was derived from the works of Sir Walter Scott. Several characters are reminiscent of personages in Charles Dickens's Nicholas Nickleby" (Gallagher, Mistichelli and Van Eerde). One of the rarest Jules Verne titles to find in this condition. . Very Good. Hardcover. 1st Edition. 1st Printing. 1883.
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Details
- Bookseller
- The Plantagenet King
(GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 003329
- Title
- The Green Ray
- Author
- Verne, Jules
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Publisher
- Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington
- Date Published
- 1883
- Weight
- 0.00 lbs
Terms of Sale
The Plantagenet King
14 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 14 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
The Plantagenet King
Biblio member since 2016
Canterbury, Kent
About The Plantagenet King
The Plantagenet King is based in Canterbury in East Kent, England and are sellers of collectable and rare first edition books. We specialise in modern fiction, children's titles and 19th century literature. We welcome direct contact so if you would like to discuss any of our books please send an email to mark.richardson@theplantagenetking.com. Also please feel free to browse through our website: www.theplantagenetking.com.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Device
- Especially for older books, a printer's device refers to an identifying mark, also sometimes called a printer's mark, on the...
- Vignette
- A decorative design or illustration placed at the beginning or end of a ...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Rubbing
- Abrasion or wear to the surface. Usually used in reference to a book's boards or dust-jacket.
- 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....
- Gutter
- The inside margin of a book, connecting the pages to the joints near the binding.
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Edges
- The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
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