Mardi: and a Voyage Thither
by Melville, Herman
- Used
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Arrowsic, Maine, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
First American edition of Melville's third book.
His first two books, Typee and Omoo, were a blend of fact and fiction, inspired by his experiences as a sailor in the South Seas. Mardi, on the other hand, marks Melville's first wholesale excursion into fiction, following the protagonist, Taji, as he travels through mythical South Sea archipelagoes in search of transcendental beauty in the form of his lost love, Yillah. An experimental novel combining metaphysics, allegory, and a satire of modern nations, literature, religion, etc., it was poorly received by critics and general readers alike. Today it is seen as an important transitional work leading to the mature style found in his masterpiece, Moby Dick.
REFERENCES: BAL 13658.
PROVENANCE: With the ownership inscription of Frederick Halstead Teese (1823-1894), a New Jersey attorney and politician who served one term in the U. S. House of Representatives (1875-1877).
CONDITION: Good, minimal rubbing, spines faded, small breaks at head and foot of spine on each volume, closed and scarcely noticeable 1.5" split in gutter along back cover of vol. 1, areas of discoloration to endpapers and the usual occasional foxing, which is more pronounced on the first and last few leaves of each volume; early ownership inscription in ink on endpapers of "F. H. Teese."
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Details
- Bookseller
- James Arsenault & Company (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 3563
- Title
- Mardi: and a Voyage Thither
- Author
- Melville, Herman
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Publisher
- New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 82 Cliff Street, 1849
- Weight
- 0.00 lbs
- Keywords
- ABAA-SPRING-2023 ABAA-BOSTON
Terms of Sale
James Arsenault & Company
About the Seller
James Arsenault & Company
About James Arsenault & Company
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Leaves
- Very generally, "leaves" refers to the pages of a book, as in the common phrase, "loose-leaf pages." A leaf is a single sheet...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Gutter
- The inside margin of a book, connecting the pages to the joints near the binding.
- Rubbing
- Abrasion or wear to the surface. Usually used in reference to a book's boards or dust-jacket.
- BAL
- Bibliography of American Literature (commonly abbreviated as BAL in descriptions) is the quintessential reference work for any...
- 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....