REDBURN
by Melville, Herman
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Austin, Texas, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Melville, Herman. REDBURN: HIS FIRST VOYAGE. New York: Harper, 1849. First edition, first binding, second state with 18 pages of ads (October, 1849) instead of 14 pp. (final signature R in 12 leaves rather than 10). Original dark brown cloth, gilt. Spine ends much worn, gilt dull; a good solid copy. There was but a single printing of 4,508 copies; by the time of the 1853 Harper fire, 2,433 copies had been bound in cloth and 1,955 in wrappers; the 120 copies still in sheets were destroyed in the fire, as well as 176 unsold bound copies. The copyright deposit copy was also a second state copy. BAL 13660.
Synopsis
Wellington Redburn is a fifteen-year-old from the state of New York, with only one dream - to run away to sea. However, when he does fulfil this long-held fantasy, he quickly finds that reality as a cabin boy is far harsher than he ever imagined. Mocked by the crew on board the Highlander for his weakness and bullied by the vicious and merciless sailor Jackson, Wellington must struggle to endure the long journey from New York to Liverpool. But when he does reach England, he is equally horrified by what he finds there: poverty, desperation and moral corruption. Inspired by Melville's own youthful experiences on board a cargo boat, this is a compelling tale of innocence transformed, through bitter experience, into disillusionment. A fascinating sea journal and coming-of-age tale, Redburn provides a unique insight into the mind of one of America's greatest novelists.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Mac Donnell Rare Books
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 10424
- Title
- REDBURN
- Author
- Melville, Herman
- Book Condition
- Used
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Keywords
- NAUTICAL
Terms of Sale
Mac Donnell Rare Books
15 day return guarantee if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
Mac Donnell Rare Books
Biblio member since 2006
Austin, Texas
About Mac Donnell Rare Books
The owner of Mac Donnell Rare Books is a former rare book librarian and widely published bibliographer with more than 40 years experience in rare books. We maintain a fine rare book inventory of 19th and 20th century American and English literary first editions, association copies, and autographs, with a specialty in Mark Twain. We also offer qualified tax and insurance appraisals, and library development consultation.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Second State
- used in book collecting to refer to a first edition, but after some change has been made in the printing, such as a correction,...
- BAL
- Bibliography of American Literature (commonly abbreviated as BAL in descriptions) is the quintessential reference work for any...
- Leaves
- Very generally, "leaves" refers to the pages of a book, as in the common phrase, "loose-leaf pages." A leaf is a single sheet...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- New
- A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
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