Gogol, Nikolai

Dead Souls

New York, NY: The Modern Library, Inc., 1936. First Edition Thus. Hardcover. "It is almost a hundred years since Dead Souls was written. During that time it has made a permanent place for itself in the world's literature beside such books as Gulliver's Travels and Don Quixote. To the Russian, whatever his political allegiance may be, Dead Souls is more than a satire that flays the weakness of the Slavic character; it is the enduring symbol of a people that neither tyranny nor revolution can change. Gogol's masterpiece lends new distinction to the Modern Library list." (from front flap) The classic picaresque, proto-Surrealist novel by Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852), the canonical Russian author. Offered here is the first Modern Library edition published in 1936, translated into English (we believe by a "Mrs. Edward Garnett" in 1923 per information on copyright page, though "Translator's Preface" is uncredited) & with an introduction by Clifford Odets (1906-1963), the great American playwright. Hardcover in unclipped (except for small clips at all blank flap-corners as issued) first-issue dust jacket (with "95 Cents A Copy" price reference on front flap, reference to 242 titles on back cover which are listed on inner jacket), "First Modern Library Edition/ 1936" as stated on copyright page. A very rare version of this immortal masterpiece (indeed), among the most acclaimed & studied works in all of world literature. Book in relatively good-to-near-fine condition with moderate rubbing, fading, occasional scratching & spot-staining to blue-cloth front, back covers & spine; moderate wear, fading to edges & corners of same incl. mild fraying of cloth; moderate dulling & loss to gilt lettering on spine; less of same to gilt publisher's symbol on front cover; moderate rubbing, browning & spotting to side & lower edges of text block; moderate fading, scratching & occasional spotting to dark grey-dyed upper edge of same. Interior good-to-near-fine with signature & "bought after 1936" cursively hand-written in blue ink by previous owner near upper edge of front endpaper; remnant of erased (pencil?) name & information of another previous owner near upper edge of front paste-down; very slight browning mostly to blank margins of page leaves; miniscule bumps at corners of a few of same. Unrestored dust jacket relatively near-fine with mild rubbing, browning, occasional light spotting & spot-staining to front, back covers, spine & flaps; mild wear, some tiny bumps & creases at edges & corners of same incl. very slight loss of paper esp. at spine-edges & corners; small notation in faded blue pencil(?) at blank area near upper left corner of back cover; light browning to printed inner jacket. Good- Near Fine / Near Fine. [Item #4866]

Price: $100.00