How it Is. [From: The Collected Works/ Samuel Beckett]

New York: Grove Press, 1970. First printing, Collected Works Edition, so stated. Hardcover. Near Fine/Very Good +. 147pp. 21cm. Hardcover. Publisher's original dark navy blue cloth over boards, silver lettering to spine and front cover. Book Condition: faint signs of handling, stamped on ffep "repair copy" else fine. Dust Jacket Condition: light wear to the extremities, some toning along top edge of jacket, dusty along the joints and flap folds of jacket, with two closed tears, one small cm. length tear to front panel and another far more adventurous tear at the lower edge of the jacket; this one begins at the K in Beckett on the spine, moves laterally for 2-3 cm. then descends for 4.5 cm to the bottom edge. What appears to be proper repair tape to verso has things nicely stabilized but the work only gets a C+/B- for expertise. A bright looking jacket otherwise, with the correct price of $5.95 fully intact. All in all a very presentable copy of volume 5 of this uncommon 16 volume set of the great man's collected works. From the 16 volume trade edition of Grove Press "The collected works of Samuel Beckett" ( a limited edition of 200 copies was also issued, with volume 15, "Waiting for Godot", signed by author). This is the first edition/first printing of volume 5; "How it is" Beckett's 1961 novel originally titled: "Comment ces". Translated from the French by the author.