THE ARGONAUTS OF NORTH LIBERTY.
London: Spencer Blackett, [1888]. Original tan printed wrappers.
First (English) Edition of this novel -- quite likely (per Blanck) issued simultaneously with both the Boston edition and the Toronto edition. Part I of the novel follows the residents of sleepy North Liberty, Connecticut, on a particulartly bleak Sunday of March 1850; Part II follows some of them to the gold fields of California...
The novel follows the adventures of a group of prospectors, known as the Argonauts, as they search for gold in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The Argonauts are a diverse group of characters, including a former slave, a Mexican bandit, and a French chef. The novel explores themes of greed, ambition, and the search for identity. It also touches on issues of race and class, as the characters come from different backgrounds and social classes... The novel is written in a realistic and gritty style, capturing the hardships and struggles of life in the Wild West. It also includes elements of humor and satire, as Harte pokes fun at the romanticized image of the Gold Rush. The Argonauts of North Liberty is considered a classic of Western literature and a significant work in the canon of American literature [BAM].
Spencer Blackett is today far better known as the publisher who, two years after this, published the first edition of Arthur Conan Doyle's THE SIGN OF FOUR. This is a very uncommon copy of the first (UK) edition that is bound in printed wrappers; most copies seen today are in cloth. Condition is remarkably near-fine (top third-of-an-inch chipped off the spine head, but otherwise little edge-wear); there are occasional penciled notations in the margins. Blanck 7344. Housed in a tan leather-backed slipcase with red leather label, with inner embossed folder. Provenance: at the bottom corner of the final page [184], there is (1) the stamp "Imported by Newbegin's"; (2) the small book-label "from Newbegins SanFrancisco"; and a penciled notation including the name "Lawson" and the date "8/8/28" Item #15728
Price: $375.00