The Brothers Karamazov
New York: The Macmillan Company [printed by Ballantyne & Company Ltd, at The Ballantyne Press, London], 1912. First Edition. Hardcover. First printing of the first US edition, octavo size, 847 pp., in a custom clamshell box. Very good +. Item #21110603
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky (1821-1881) remains one of the most highly regarded Russian novelists; his psychological penetration into the darkest recesses of the human heart, together with his unsurpassed moments of illumination, had an immense influence on twentieth-century fiction, and literary modernism, existentialism, and various schools of psychology, theology, and literary criticism have been profoundly shaped by his ideas (n. b., info from Brittanica).
This work, "The Brothers Karamazov", is considered one of "the supreme achievements in world literature." The last novel Dostoevsky wrote, it was initially published as a serial in "The Russian Messenger", running from January of 1879 to November of 1880; Dostoevsky would due less than four months after the final issue was published. This volume, with the translation by Constance Garnett, was the first appearance of the novel in the United States (its first appearance written in English was in Britain, published in the same year) (n.b., info and quote from Wiki).
___DESCRIPTION: Bound in full grey cloth over boards, narrow blind-debossed ruled border on both boards, gilt lettering on the spine with the author and title surrounded by a narrow gilt ruled border, top edge gilt; octavo size (7 5/8" by 5 3/8"), pagination: [i-iv] v-vii [1, blank] 1-838 [1, printer's statement]. Now housed in a custom clamshell box in quarter black leather stamped with gilt lettering, the sides covered with hand-marbled paper in black, grey and white, the sides covered in grey cloth.
___CONDITION: Better than very good and could almost be deemed near fine; the boards mostly clean, straight corners with minimal rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, the sole prior owner marking we see an unobtrusive name written in a vintage hand at the gutter margin of the front pastedown; some light wear at the head and tail of the spine, a light spot of soil at the top fore-edge corner of the front board surrounded by a light area (we presume a prior owner attempted to clean the spot), a few signatures roughly opened (but not egregiously so). The custom box is new, in fine condition.
___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details.
___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.
Price: $4,000.00