Moby-Dick; or, the Whale [California Edition]
by Melville, Herman
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- F/In Slipcase
- ISBN 10
- 0520045491
- ISBN 13
- 9780520045491
- Seller
-
Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Berkeley: University of California Press, 1981 Folio. original blue cloth (a few tiny marks to fore-edge, else as new) in slipcase (some faint handling marks); pp. xvi (last blank), 580 (last blank), with illustrations. Very heavy item (4.5 kg), additional postage may be required for international and domestic delivery. A fine copy. One of a limited deluxe edition of 750 copies.. First Thus. Hard Cover. F/In Slipcase. Illus. by Barry Moser.
Synopsis
Melville's classic was first published in England as three volumes titled The Whale in October 1851. Slow sales of Melville's previously books convinced Publisher L. Richard Bentley to reduce the printing to only 500 copies, and of that, only 300 sold in the first 4 months. The remaining unbound sheets were bound in a cheaper casing in 1852, and in 1853 there were still enough remaining sheets to again bind into an even cheaper edition. Melville changed the title to Moby Dick a month later, November 1851, when the American Version was published in one volume by Harper & Brothers in NY. Of the 2,951 copies printed, 125 were review copies. About 1,500 sold in 11 days, but then sales slowed to less than 300 the next year. After two years copies of the first edition were still available, and almost 300 were destroyed in the 1853 fire of Harper's warehouse. Most of the first editions have orange end-papers, although there are 2 known volumes with rare white-endpapers. Because of Nineteenth-century printing practices, and the time-lapse between when the first-editions were published and Melville became collectible, oxidized paper, bumped and chipped spines, and brittle wrappers are all common for even the most expensive and collectible of these books, which can sell from $35,000 to $100,000. Also, expect heavy wear and maybe even minor repair. Another collectible edition is the 1930 first edition illustrated by Rockwell Kent, a three-volume set published by the Lakeside Press with acetate dust jackets in an aluminum slipcase. These range in value from $9,000 to $11,000. A total of 3,215 copies of Moby-Dick were sold during Melville's life (he died in 1891). Today, Moby-Dick is considered one of the greatest American novels. -
Read More: Identifying first editions of Moby-Dick; or, the Whale [California Edition]
Reviews
On Mar 9 2016, a reader said:
Why would this be 600 since the original was in 1851?
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- Mount of Alex - Arapiles Mountain Books
(AU)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 025433
- Title
- Moby-Dick; or, the Whale [California Edition]
- Author
- Melville, Herman
- Illustrator
- Barry Moser
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - F
- Jacket Condition
- In Slipcase
- Edition
- First Thus
- ISBN 10
- 0520045491
- ISBN 13
- 9780520045491
- Publisher
- University of California Press
- Place of Publication
- Berkeley
- Date Published
- 1981
- Keywords
- Herman Melville Moby Dick Whaling Sea Voyages Whales American Literature Arion Press Andrew Hoyem Barry Moser
Terms of Sale
Mount of Alex - Arapiles Mountain 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
Mount of Alex - Arapiles Mountain Books
Biblio member since 2022
Castlemaine, Victoria
About Mount of Alex - Arapiles Mountain Books
Bricks and mortar bookshop with substantial online stock, specialising in travel and adventure books. Open by chance or appointment, most likely on weekends. Note that our online stock is stored off site, so best contact us in advance to check opening hours and arrange a viewing.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Folio
- A folio usually indicates a large book size of 15" in height or larger when used in the context of a book description. Further,...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
Frequently asked questions
This Book’s Categories
Collecting and identifying signed letters and holographic documents
Many authors and other famous literary figures wrote and signed letters by hand, and you can find a great collection of them in the Biblio rare book room. See our great collection of handwritten letters and holographic documents
Collecting Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley was a well-known and highly controversial figure in the first half of the 20th Century. A writer, occultist, magician, and mountaineer, Crowley impacted a diverse collection of sub-cultures and interests. See collectible Crowley from Biblio booksellers.
