The Rainbow

New York: B. W. Huebsch, 1916. First Edition. Original Cloth. Near Fine+. First American Edition of the title "universally considered by dealers and collectors alike Mr. Lawrence's scarcest book." (MacDonald) 8vo: [8],467,[1]pp. Publisher's original dark tan coarsely woven cloth, upper cover and spine lettered in black; lacking the scarce dust jacket. Near Fine or better (dust-soiled and spotted top edge, a touch shelf-worn). Neither Roberts nor MacDonald gives a separate entry for the New York edition, but both note its appearance under the entry for the London edition.) Roberts A7. MacDonald 7. ML 100, 48. The Observer's 100. Although the title page bears the date 1916, this edition was first published November 30, 1915, in order to establish the legitimacy of the American copyright date. "The Rainbow and Women in Love were originally intended to form one novel entitled The Sisters, which was begun in 1913 when Lawrence was living in Italy, but as the novel developed across 1913-14—whilst Lawrence and [his wife] Frieda moved from Italy to Germany to England and back to Italy again—its scope grew so much that in the autumn of 1914 Lawrence decided to create two novels. The Rainbow . . . is one of his major achievements, radical in both form and content." (Literary Encyclopedia) "Pronounced obscene when it was first published in 1915, The Rainbow is the epic story of three generations of the Brangwens, a Midlands family. A visionary novel, considered to be one of Lawrence's finest, it explores the complex sexual and psychological relationships between men and women in an increasingly industrialized world." (ML 100) N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition, carefully preserved in archival, removable polypropylene sleeves. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed. (Fine Editions Ltd is a member of the Independent Online Booksellers Association, and we subscribe to its codes of ethics.).