TALES OF UNREST.
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1898. Original tan cloth decorated in brown.
First Edition of Conrad's fourth book and his first collection of short stories (including "An Outpost of Progress," a Congo tale along the same vein as his later "Heart of Darkness"). The only Conrad book published by Scribner, this was issued about ten days before the London edition, and consisted of 1,250 copies. TALES OF UNREST was not a big seller in America: Scribner did not print a second and third impression (250 copies each) until 1906 and 1912; after the success of CHANCE in 1914, they printed 250 + 260 more copies in 1915, before selling the rights, the plates, and the unbound sheets to Doubleday Page the following year.
We consider this one of the scarcer Conrad American editions; when it does turn up the volume's spine is usually severely darkened. This is a very good-plus copy (spine rubbed at the extremities, but not as darkened as usual; there are remnants of a heavy bookplate (pocket?) on the rear paste-down). Supino A4.1.0; Cagle A4b. Provenance: skeletal bookplate of Xavier Monsalvatje (most likely the Spanish writer, painter, and bookplate-designer (1881-1921). Item #15572
Price: $325.00