Herman melville moby dick easton press 1st edition 1st printing hardcover norwalk, connecticut easton press 1977 near fine, thumb nail sized blemish to front edge pages. Jul 26, 2018 nevertheless, melvilles permanent fame must always rest on the great prose epic of mobydick, a book that has no equal in american literature for variety and splendor of style and for depth of. A near fine condition with some of the usual light foxing and light shelfwear to the spine tips. Rare books by herman melville, including first editions, signed first editions and rare and finely bound copies of moby dick. Fedallah, trapped in the harpoon line, is dragged overboard to his death. Pictures of the true first edition of moby dick illustrated by rockwell kent by herman melville. Moby dick or the whale by herman melville, illustrated by rockwell kent first limited deluxe edition, one of 1,000 copies, of the first illustrated version of moby dick. Moby dick or the white whale first edition illustrated by.
Sell your herman melville moby dick first edition 1st book. This is a nice copy of one of the great books of the western world. The book is the sailor ishmael s narrative of the obsessive quest of ahab, captain of the whaling ship pequod, for revenge on moby dick, the giant white sperm whale. The american edition contains some 35 passages not present in the english edition. Nows your chance to own the white whale of rare literature. Herman melville mobydick 1st edition 1st printing ebay. Rare book auction includes the white whale of first. Moby dick or the white whale 1907 first edition everymans library ernest rhys, herman melville on.
Random house also selected this title as its first selection for the new and popular bookofthemonth club this copy is not the bomc edition. The very first line of moby dick, for instance, identifies ishmael as the narrator. Published in 1926, its the first modern library edition. He has written an introduction to a new edition of joseph hart s miriam coffin, or the whale fisherman, a nantucket novel first published in 1834 that melville relied upon for information. This first edition by herman melville is available at bauman rare books.
The us edition was the first to appear under the familiar title, and contains some thirtyfive passages and the epilogue omitted from the english edition. Another collectable edition is the 1930 first edition illustrated by rockwell kent, a three. Unfollow moby dick first edition to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. Melvilles sixth book, moby dick, was first published in october 1851 in london, in three volumes titled the whale, and then in the u. He was ever dusting his old lexicons and grammars, with a queer handkerchief, mockingly embellished with all the gay flags of all the known nations of the world. Herman melville moby dick easton press 1st edition 1st. And i think, to an extent, nobody can fully understand this book who doesnt know at least a little about the transcendentalist movement in american literature. Another collectable edition is the 1930 first edition illustrated by rockwell kent, a three volume set published by the lakeside press with acetate dust jackets in an aluminum slipcase. Sell your herman melville moby dick first edition 1st book at.
The book is the sailor ishmaels narrative of the obsessive quest of ahab, captain of the whaling ship pequod, for revenge on moby dick, the giant white sperm whale that on the ships previous voyage bit off ahabs leg at the knee. Editions of mobydick or, the whale by herman melville. The american first edition was published under the title moby dick a month later by harper and brothers. Part of their 19 th and 20 th century literature auction, the edition. Sep 02, 2016 first american edition, in the first binding with orange endpapers and the publishers device stamped centrally on the sides. Anyone interested in melville, mobydick or reading this classic piece of literature for the first time, needs to have this latest edition on his or her bookshelf. Moby dick or the white whale 1907 first edition everymans library.
Moby dick, the third norton critical edition edited by hershel parker, the foremost melville scholar, is a leviathan of a melvillean treat and brings melville into the 21st century. Mobydick was originally issued in london earlier the same year, set from the new york sheets and titled the whale. Melville changed the title to moby dick a month later, november 1851, when the american. Moby dick was originally issued in london earlier the same year, set from the new york sheets and titled the whale. Some pale marginal dampstaining to the first several leaves, some scattered foxing, two leaves with short marginal tears near end, former owner bookplate. Moby dick or the white whale, first edition illustrated by mead schaeffer, hardcover 1923 publisher. Nevertheless, melvilles permanent fame must always rest on the great prose epic of moby dick, a book that has no equal in american literature for variety and splendor of style and for depth of. A total of 3,215 copies of moby dick were sold during melvilles life he died in 1891. Moby dick first edition herman melville bauman rare books. Vanity fair quipped, of 1930 the literary event was the random house edition of moby kent. Rare book auction includes the white whale of first editions. Moby dick or the white whale 1907 first edition everymans library hardcover 1907 by ernest rhys editor, herman melville author. The story tells the adventures of the wandering sailor ishmael and his voyage on the whaleship pequod, commanded by captain ahab. Im reading it now as an adult im about 80% of the way through and im enjoying it immensely.
This first edition by herman melville, rockwell kent is available at bauman rare books. Moby dick or the white whale 1907 first edition everymans. First edition, first issue binding, with the circular. First us edition, in the first issue binding bals a state. Find great deals on ebay for moby dick first edition and moby dick first edition 1851. In february of 1964, in my freshman american literature survey class, i first encountered herman melvilles moby dick. Mobydick, or, the whale herman melville first edition. Rare books by herman melville, including first editions and rare and finely bound copies of moby dick. Sailor ishmael tells the story of the obsessive quest of ahab, captain of the whaler pequod, for revenge on moby dick, the white whale that on the previous whaling voyage bit off ahabs leg at the knee.
Moby dick by herman melville and a great selection of related books. Other magazines that printed his works were literary world including his famous assessment of hawthorne and the albany microscope his first. First edition, first binding with publishers device on covers, this copy with white wove endpapers. On the third day, the boats are once again sent after moby dick, who once again attacks them. A harvest book, nd 1999, c1999, 1st harvest edition 1st printing, illus.
There are a number of other abrahamic names in the book. Moby dick, novel 1851 by herman melville detailing the voyage of the pequod, a whaling vessel whose captain is intent on finding the white sperm whale moby dick. Herman melvilles classic begins with one of the most famous opening lines in world literature. Sell your herman melville moby dick first edition 1st book at auction. Moby dick, or, the whale is a novel by herman melville 18191891. First edition points and criteria for moby dick illustrated. The first publication of any part of moby dick was the townhos story, printed in harpers monthly of october 1851. Pdf mobydick or, the whale book by herman melville free. A firm, unsophisticated copy of melvilles masterpiece, p. Publishers postcard addressed to rankin indicates that he was an original subscriber for the book. The killing in the 1830s of mocha dick, a giant sperm whale said to attack whaling ships with premeditated ferocity. Moby dick by herman melville, first edition abebooks.
Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at. I have a book called moby dick by herman melville, introduction by raymond weaver. Moby dick, first edition abebooks passion for books. Moby dick was a commercial failure when it was first published in 1851, but during the 20th century, the books reputation grew and gr. The novel was not well received when published but now is widely regarded as melvilles magnum opus and one of the greatest novels in american literature. Moby dick amazonclassics edition kindle edition by. Melville moby dick 18511851 first edition sellersupplied.
Moby dick by melville, herman and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. A checklist of herman melvilles first and major editions. Nov 29, 2019 one of the reasons mobydick is my desert island novel is that its allusions are so rich and varied that theres something new to find with every reading. It will take a lifetime of rereading to catch them all, and ive committed to this bizarre edition of pokemon. The main characters of this classics, fiction story are elijah, stubb. This book, first published in 1851, tells the story of captain ahabm. Supplied by a late consumptive usher to a grammar school the pale usherthreadbare in coat, heart, body, and brain. Almost as significantly, the us edition contained an epilogue, which explains. Moby dick by herman melville and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 720 pages and is available in paperback format. First edition, first issue binding, with the circular harpers device of melvilles. Ishmael soon learns that ahab seeks one specific whale, moby dick, a white whale of tremendous size and ferocity. Jan, 2014 then, on 14 november, the american edition, moby dick, with its hyphenated title, finally appeared from harpers. Mocha dick was an inspiration for melvilles moby dick. Moby dick, also referred to as the white whale, is an infamous and dangerous threat to seamen, considered by ahab the incarnation of evil and a fated nemesis. Our teacher was daniel hoffman, a worthy poet, critic, and educator whod go on to publish two dozen books, one of which, poe poe poe poe poe poe poe was nominated for the national book award. I had moby dick assigned in a high school english class and never made it past the first chapter or two.
Includes identificaton criteria and points of issue to help collectors identify the original book. The power comes from the rich descriptions of whalers, those who worked the ships, the history of whaling, the knowledge of whales, and how in the 19th century they were so crudely hunted and butchered on the open seas. This book, first published in 1851, tells the story of captain ahabm, a deranged whaling captain, and his obsessive voyage to find the great white whale that ripped offi his leg. The whale is harpooned, but moby dick again attacks ahabs boat. In this outstanding work, ishmael, the narrator, recounts the epic story of the insane quest that he becomes a part of as he boards the whale ship pequod. The first edition of the novel was published in november 14th 1851, and was written by herman melville. A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. Slow sales of melvilles previously books convinced publi. Melvilles whale was a warning we failed to heed the new. Regularly stocked editions by melville include the standard edition of the collected works, the first schaeffer edition and the first rockwell kent trade edition.
You may think that you know the story of moby dick, but until you have read this book, you cannot understand its power. First edition first printing, 1952, 420 numbered pages. The first edition of this work was published under the title the whale in 1851 by richard bentley, london. Book is in very good condition, onehalf inch split at upper spine end, no dust jacket, as issued. Starbuck must maneuver the pequod between ahab and the angry whale. Ishmael was the illegitimate in terms of the covenant son of abraham and was cast away after isaac was born.