The Snails

Foolscap Press, 2016. Hardcover. Fine. Hardcover. Number 16 of 100 copies. The Snails is a short story by Patricia Highsmith (author of The Talented Mr. Ripley) about giant snails with huge teeth that inhabit a remote island. When an out-of-shape professor decides to visit the island in hopes of capturing one of the snails in order to secure fame for himself, his plans go awry. A seemingly peculiar topic for a story, it was perfect for Highsmith who kept snails as pets and was known to take them to parties on leaves of lettuce in her handbag. The book is housed in a brick red cloth box with a cast-paper sculpture of a snail shell to the top cover. The book is bound in tan cloth with an illustration of a snail pasted down to the front cover. Within the folds of the accordion structure binding are smaller gatherings of pages, which include the text. Illustrations of snails roaming the island and encountering the professor are printed on the larger pages. An interesting structure, as is frequent with books issued by the Foolscap Press. Letterpress printed from polymer plates. In fine condition. Unpaginated. [44 pages] PRI/022217.