The Enormous Room [First State]

New York: Boni & Liveright, 1922. First Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine+. First Printing, First State (with "Shit!" uncensored on final line of p. 219), of the poet's first novel, an account of his imprisonment in a French military detention center during the First World War. Crown 8vo (199 x 135mm): [2],viii,,9-271,[1]pp. Publisher's coarse tan cloth, spine and front cover lettered in black, fore- and bottom edges rough-trimmed. Neat manuscript ex-libris and bookseller's ticket (Old Corner Book Store, Boston) to front fly leaf. Wanting the rare dust jacket. Faint foxing to upper edge of text block, slight discoloration to fore-edge of boards, but a superior example, tightly bound (lightly read, if at all) and clean throughout. Firmage A2a. On T. E. Lawrence's recommendation, the book was reprinted in 1927, and a London edition, with preface by Robert Graves, appeared in 1928. "Loosely modelled around John Bunyan's allegorical narrative The Pilgrim's Progress, Cummings' text presents the story of his arrest, imprisonment and release as a journey towards perception. Through a mixture of reportage, poetic prose, interjections in French and line drawings [in later editions], Cummings creates a series of studies of his captors and fellow inmates, revealing his contempt for cruelty and authority, and his irrepressible delight in the variety of human nature. . . . With its sharp assessment of national prejudices and social superficialities, it does not always make comfortable reading . . . That is why it is a classic." (Literary Encyclopedia) N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition, carefully preserved in archival, removable mylar sleeves. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed. (Fine Editions Ltd is a member of the Independent Online Booksellers Association, and we subscribe to its codes of ethics.).