Of Human Bondage

New York: George H. Doran, 1915. Full description:

MAUGHAM, W. Somerset. Of Human Bondage. New York: George H. Doran, [1915].

First American edition, second issue. With the misprint of "help him" on line 4 of page 257 corrected and with stamping on front and spine in black rather than gilt. And without the Doran monogram to copyright page. In a later issue jacket. A gift inscription card reading "From her friend W. Somerset Maugham" laid in. Octavo (7 1/2 x 5 3/8 inches; 192 x 132 mm). [vi], 648 pp.

Publisher's original green cloth stamped in black on front cover and lettered in black on spine. Some minor rubbing to head (truncated) and tail of spine, along outer hinge and corners. Inner hinges starting but holding firm. Text is very clean. In later publisher's jacket. Jacket with chipping to head and tail of spine. Some splitting along folds. Jacket panels rubbed and spine a but sunned. Still a very good copy.

"The novel is generally agreed to be Maugham's masterpiece and to be strongly autobiographical in nature, although he stated, 'This is a novel, not an autobiography; though much in it is autobiographical, more is pure invention.' Maugham, who had originally planned to call his novel Beauty from Ashes, finally settled on a title taken from a section of Spinoza's Ethics." (Wikipedia).

Toole Stott A21a.

HBS 69145.

$500. (Inventory #: 69145)