Paris: The Obelisk Press. Collectible; Very Good. An attractive copy of this early, 1938 reprint. Solid and VG in its dark-brown leatherette, with bright gilt-lettering and raised bands along the spine. 12mo, top-edge gilt, marbled endsheets. Former owner monogram in gilt and armorial bookplate at the front pastedown. Includes publisher's original tipped-in errata sheet.

Synopsis

Like his previous work, Tropic of Cancer , Henry Miller's Tropic of Capricorn stayed banned in the U.S. until 1961. Written with a similar style and theme, the book details and to some extent parodies Miller's experiences working for Western Union, referring to the company throughout the book as the “Cosmodemonic Telegraph Company.” In Capricorn , Miller expounded on his travails as a struggling writer in New York in the 1920s, and with his troubled marriage. The book was published by Obelisk Press in Paris in 1939. The first U.S. Edition was printed by Grove Press in 1961, and signed copies of this book are also sought after, due to the lawsuit and controversy surrounding its publication. The trilogy itself represents a significant challenge to traditional literary forms, and Miller's appeal to counter-culture continues to attract new collectors. The final book in Miller's Obelisk Trilogy , it was followed by Black Spring in 1938, a collection of shorter stories related to the series, and Tropic of Capricorn in 1939, another stream-of-consciousness account of the author's struggles in New York in the 1920s. Flaws in the first Paris edition (printed in English) commonly include a damaged or missing spine. Wear to the cover and boards, and chips and unevenness to the page edges are also common. Signed copies of this work in good condition are often sold for over $1,000. The first U.S. Edition is of higher quality, and features gilt lettering on the title pages, and marbled paper boards. Less commonly seen errors for this edition include soiling and damage to the edges, folded corners of pages, and slight loosening of the boards and binding.

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Details

Bookseller: Appledore Books, ABAA (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #: 9777
Title: Tropic of Capricorn
Author: Henry Miller
Book Condition: Used - Collectible; Very Good
Quantity Available: 1
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: The Obelisk Press
Place of Publication: Paris
Keywords: rare Henry Miller, rare Olympia Press, Tropic of Capricorn
Bookseller catalogs: Literature; Erotica;

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Appledore Books, ABAA

All books are offered subject to prior sale. Materials are returnable within 1 week of receipt provided prior notice is given.

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Appledore Books, ABAA

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Waccabuc, New York

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Glossary

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Bookplate: Highly sought after by some collectors, a book plate is an inscribed or decorative device that identifies the owner, or former...
Reprint: Any printing of a book which follows the original edition. By definition, a reprint is not a first edition.
VG: Very Good condition can describe a used book that does show some small signs of wear - but no tears - on either binding or...
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...
12mo: A duodecimo is a book approximately 7 by 4.5 inches in size, or similar in size to a contemporary mass market paperback. Also...
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....
Errata: Errata: aka Errata Slip A piece of paper either laid in to the book correcting errors found in the printed text after being...
Raised Band(s): Raised bands refer to the ridges that protrude slightly from the spine on leather bound books. The bands are created in the...