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Tropic of Capricorn.

Tropic of Capricorn.

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Tropic of Capricorn.

by Miller, Henry

  • Used
  • Signed
  • first
Condition
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Seller
Seller rating:
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Palm Beach, Florida, United States
Item Price
£5,219.50
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About This Item

Paris: Obelisk Press, 1939. First edition, one of only 1000 copies printed in Paris, to avoid obscenity laws in the United States. Octavo, original red and white wrappers. Association copy, inscribed by the author in the year of publication on the front free endpaper, "To Henry Church with best wishes, Henry Miller 5/5/39." Henry Church and his wife Barbara were patrons of the arts in 1930s-40s France, and were friends with many of the important writers of the era. In near fine condition with light rubbing to the fragile wrappers. With first issue price of 60 francs printed on the spine. With errata slip, often not found, tipped to title page. Rare and desirable signed and inscribed example of this cornerstone of modern literature.

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
Raptis Rare Books US (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #
110655
Title
Tropic of Capricorn.
Author
Miller, Henry
Book Condition
Used
Publisher
Obelisk Press
Place of Publication
Paris
Date Published
1939
Keywords
Henry Miller First Edition Signed, Tropic of Capricorn First Edition
Bookseller catalogs
Literature;

Terms of Sale

Raptis Rare Books

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About the Seller

Raptis Rare Books

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2012
Palm Beach, Florida

About Raptis Rare Books

Founded by Matthew and Adrienne Raptis, Raptis Rare Books is an antiquarian book firm that specializes in literature, children's books, economics, photo books, signed and inscribed books, and landmark books in all fields. Our business model is simple: we strive to handle books that are in exceptional condition and to provide exceptional customer service.

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Errata
Errata: aka Errata Slip A piece of paper either laid in to the book correcting errors found in the printed text after being...
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....
Association Copy
An association copy is a copy of a book which has been signed and inscribed by the author for a personal friend, colleague, or...
Rubbing
Abrasion or wear to the surface. Usually used in reference to a book's boards or dust-jacket.
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...
Octavo
Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
Fine
A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
Wrappers
The paper covering on the outside of a paperback. Also see the entry for pictorial wraps, color illustrated coverings for...
Inscribed
When a book is described as being inscribed, it indicates that a short note written by the author or a previous owner has been...
Title Page
A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...

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