Click for full-size.
An Unsocial Socialist
by SHAW, George Bernard
- Used
- Hardcover
- Signed
- first
- Condition
- Very Good+
- Seller
-
Pine Plains, New York, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
SIGNED/Inscribed by Shaw, affirming this "the first edition in book form." Very rare First Edition Association Copy of Shaw's novel, An Unsocial Socialist. London: Swan Sonnenschein, Lowrey & Co., 1887. Octavo, original scarlet cloth. Housed in custom cloth slipcase by Brentano, famed NYC Fifth Ave bookstore with Brentano's original description laid in..Shaw began his literary career by ghosting music criticism and writing unsuccessful novels, of which this is the fifth written and the first published. "During his first nine years in London Shaw calculated that he earned less than 10 pounds by his pen" (Drabble, 892). An Unsocial Socialist was serialized in To-Day ("Monthly Magazine of Scientific Socialism"), with no payment to Shaw, between March and December, 1884. First state, with "Cashel Byron's Profession etc etc" printed on title page. This copy inscribed by Shaw to his first bibliographer, Maurice Holmes. Inscription in full reads: "4 Whitehall Court, London, SWI 23rd November 1928. Dear Maurice Holmes, This is the first edition in book form. It had appeared as a serial in a magazine called Today. Faithfully, G. Bernard Shaw." 256 pp. 8vo., bound in publisher's red cloth, stamped in gilt on spine and covers, dark green endpapers, preserved in a darker red cloth slipcase. This printing was promptly canceled, and supposedly only samples for booksellers and travelers had been sent out with this title-page. . Overall a bright, fresh copy, hinges tender but holding. Housed in a custom clamshell box by NYC's Brentano's .Rare signed Shaw with a powerful association. Book #Pv2133. $4800. We specialize in Rare Ayn Rand, history and science.
Synopsis
In the dusk of an October evening, a sensible looking woman of forty came out through an oaken door to a broad landing on the first floor of an old English country-house. A braid of her hair had fallen forward as if she had been stooping over book or pen; and she stood for a moment to smooth it, and to gaze contemplatively - not in the least sentimentally - through the tall, narrow window. The sun was setting, but its glories were at the other side of the house; for this window looked eastward, where the landscape of sheepwalks and pasture land was sobering at the approach of darkness.
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- Pen Ultimate Rare Books
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- P2133
- Title
- An Unsocial Socialist
- Author
- SHAW, George Bernard
- Format/Binding
- CLAMSHELL BOX
- Book Condition
- Used - Very Good+
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- Swan Sonnenschein, Lowrey & Co
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1887
- Weight
- 0.00 lbs
- Bookseller catalogs
- belles-lettres;
Terms of Sale
Pen Ultimate Rare Books
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
Pen Ultimate Rare Books
Biblio member since 2018
Pine Plains, New York
About Pen Ultimate Rare Books
Pen Ultimate Rare Books carries the largest selection of rare, signed, and manuscript Ayn Rand on the planet! We also carry landmark works of History and Science. And we LOVE English Grammar. Split an infinitive with us!
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- First State
- used in book collecting to refer to a book from the earliest run of a first edition, generally distinguished by a change in some...
- 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...
- Inscribed
- When a book is described as being inscribed, it indicates that a short note written by the author or a previous owner has been...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Clamshell Box
- A protective box designed for storing and preserving a bound book or loose sheets. A clamshell box is hinged on one side, with...
- G
- Good describes the average used and worn book that has all pages or leaves present. Any defects must be noted. (as defined by AB...
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
- Association Copy
- An association copy is a copy of a book which has been signed and inscribed by the author for a personal friend, colleague, or...
- 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...
- Title Page
- A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
Frequently asked questions
This Book’s Categories
Collecting Miniature Books
Teeny, tiny, beautiful books...the world of miniature books is one that involves a lot of imagination and craftsmanship. Dive in and see!
Vertigo Comics
Vertigo Comics, an imprint of DC Comics, is being retired in 2020 after a 27 year run of groundbreaking comics. The imprint was DC’s home for mature tales that were often horror-themed or otherwise dark in nature. Learn more about Vertigo, home of V for Vendetta, Sandman, and Fables.
