SOME REMINISCENCES

1912. London: Eveleigh Nash, 1912. 2 pp undated ads. Original dark blue cloth.

First Edition of this autobiographical work, which had initially (in 1908-1909) appeared serially in Ford Madox Ford's newly-founded English Review. Interestingly, Conrad's printed initials at the end of the Preface are "J.C.K." -- using his Polish last name of Korzeniowski. What is remarkable about Conrad's reminiscences is how clearly he employed fictional techniques worked out with Ford,... wherein the narrative intensity increases as the story develops. To achieve that, Conrad used a constantly interrupted narrative as a way of unsettling conventional sequences and, thereby, established anticipation of the next episode. Conrad needed a method that permitted intimacy, up to a certain point, and then withdrawal, when he had revealed enough... so his reminiscences would be matters of attack and retreat. [Karl] Precedence between this UK edition (published in January 1912 but actual date unknown) and Harper's US edition (published on January 19th) is uncertain. Subsequent English editions adopted the American title of A PERSONAL RECORD. Wise claimed that only 1,000 copies were printed (apparently including some bound by Bell as the colonial issue), but Nash records have not survived to substantiate this. This is a near-fine copy (minor bumps at some corners, endpapers cracked, "IN" rubbed in spine title). Supino A15.1.0; Cagle A15b.1.