AN OUTCAST OF THE ISLANDS

1896. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1896. Original marbled boards with half maroon roan gilt, spine decorated in gilt.

First American Edition of Conrad's second book, issued as #198 in Appleton's "Town and Country Library." "Because it was to be included in the family-oriented Town and Country Library, this edition was severely bowdlerized, by eliminating all scenes referring to love or sex" [Supino]; the editors inserted their own linking passages. This copy is in the publisher's "deluxe" binding of half roan gilt; most copies were sold either in wrappers (at fifty cents each) or in cloth (at a dollar each), but copies were also available in this binding for those willing to pay even more. Deluxe copies actually constituted a separate printing (as the wove paper is of a different texture than the paper in the cheaper copies). Cagle says about the two printings that "we are led to the conjecture that they were made either simultaneously or one immediately after the other," and Supino concurs ("whether this printing preceded or followed the trade impression is not known"). This is a near-fine copy, very slightly worn at the extremities. Supino A2.12.0; Cagle A2b(3). Provenance: discreet bookplate of Conrad bibliographer David J. Supino.