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Moby Dick, Herman Melville. First American Edition.

Moby Dick, Herman Melville. First American Edition.

Moby Dick, Herman Melville. First American Edition.

Moby Dick, Herman Melville. First American Edition.

Moby Dick, Herman Melville. First American Edition.

Moby Dick, Herman Melville. First American Edition.

Moby Dick, Herman Melville. First American Edition.

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Moby Dick; or, The Whale, Herman Melville

First American edition of Melville’s masterpiece and arguably the greatest single work in American literature. In the BAL first issue binding. This edition follows the three volume English edition by a month and is the first with its familiar title, along with the addition of 35 passages and the epilogue.

Moby Dick was originally a "complete practical failure, misunderstood by the critics and ignored by the public; and in 1853 the Harpers' fire destroyed the plates of all his books and most of the copies remaining in stock" (DAB). These mixed reviews and lack of commercial success led to Melville's financial difficulties and decline in literary reputation. However, in the early 20th century, the novel was rediscovered and reappraised by scholars and critics, who recognized its complex narrative structure, rich symbolism, and profound themes. This reappraisal firmly established "Moby-Dick" as one of the great American novels and a masterpiece of world literature.

"Moby-Dick is the great conundrum-book. Is it a profound allegory with the white whale the embodiment of moral evil, or merely the finest story of the sea ever written? Whichever it is, now rediscovered, it stirs and stimulates each succeeding generation, whether reading it for pleasure or with a scalpel. Within its pages can be found the sound and scents, the very flavor, of the maritime life of our whaling ancestors" (Grolier).

New York: Harper & Brothers, 1851. Publisher’s original blue cloth, spine lettered and decorated in gilt, border and central publisher's life-buoy device to covers in blind, orange coated endpapers; pp. xxiii, 635, [6 ads]. Binding firm and secure, professionally rebacked with the spine laid down and light professional touch ups to the rear board. The original spine shows minor loss to the tips and two closed tears to the crown, oxidized to green. Boards show toning, a few scattered ink drops, rubbing and light discoloration. Typical foxing throughout, endpapers rubbed with a couple small penciled notations to the front endpaper, a penciled cross to the rear endpaper and owner's details to the first blank. A nice example, protected in a removable archival jacket.

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