Twain, Mark

Sketches New and Old (Two Editions)

ISBN: 0195101359
Syracuse, NY; New York, NY: American Publishing Company; Oxford University Press, 1893; 1996. Early Edition; First Trade Edition Thus. Hardcovers. Two collectible versions of an early-mid career classic collection of stories by Samuel Langhorne Clemens a/k/a Mark Twain, the canonical American humorist & writer: (1) Sketches New and Old, American Publishing Company's 1893 printing of the collection it first published in 1875. Hardcover in brown cloth with ornately illustrated front cover & spine; profusely illustrated throughout (uncredited illustrator). McBride's bibliography lists thirteen editions printed between 1875 & 1899 by original publisher APC, of which this is the eleventh, & notes that this edition contains selections from the original edition (48/63 if we counted accurately). Also noted in reference to this printing is that " "Mr. Bloke's Item" (pp. 170-174) appears here in the index for the first time in the printing history of this title." (pg. 37) We have seen no reference to a dust jacket having been issued with this edition, if so it is not present. (2) Sketches New and Old, Oxford University Press, 1996. As stated in Editor's Note, "The Oxford Mark Twain consists of twenty-nine volumes of facsimiles of the first American editions of Mark Twain's works, with an editor's foreword, new introductions, afterwords, notes on the texts, and essays on the illustrations in volumes with artwork." This volume in the series reproduces the first edition published by APC in 1875, complete with all the stories rather than the (albeit extensive) selection contained in (1) above. Edited by Shelley Fisher Fishkin, with introduction by Lee Smith & afterword by Sherwood Cummings. "A real storyteller can make a great story out of anything, even the most trivial occurrence. Composed between 1863 and 1875, the sixty-three often outrageous sketches in Sketches, New and Old contain, for instance, a piece about the difficulty of getting a pocket watch repaired properly; complaints about barbers and office bores; and satirical comments on bureaucrats, courts of law, the profession of journalism, the claims of science, and the workings of government. In mark Twain's hands, all these potentially dry and dull topics bristle with vitality and interest." (from front flap) Hardcover in unclipped dust jacket, first trade edition thus, first printing as indicated by number sequence on copyright page. Two desirable editions of this popular work in the immortal Mark Twain oeuvre, both also containing the exemplary sketch of "The jumping Frog," referred to on (1)'s front cover illustration; an antiquarian collectible from the original publisher, & an Oxford facsimile with helpful academic scholarship. (1) in relatively near-fine unrestored condition with mild-to-moderate rubbing, a few spots & some light blistering of cloth to front, back covers & spine; mild-to-moderate wear, light fraying of cloth & tiny bumps at edges & corners of same esp. spine-edges & corners; moderate rubbing & browning to edges of text block incl. fading & chipping to upper dyed edge of same. Interior fine with only mild browning mostly at blank margins of page leaves; slight loosening of some of same at sewn spine (but no separation of any leaves). (2) book very fine, substantially mint inside & out. Dust jacket very fine with only light rubbing to front, back covers & spine; a few tiny bumps, creases at edges & corners of same. Near Fine; Very Fine / Very Fine. [Item #4241]

Price: $90.00