[First Edition] Mr

Publication: London, Ernest Benn Limited, 1928 Formatting: 8vo, pp. 288. Condition Report: Very Good. The publisher's original brown cloth binding remains notably sharp and tightly bound, with the gilt tooling to the spine remaining bright and unoxidised. Internally, the text block is sound and firmly held, exhibiting only minor, localised spotting to the preliminary leaves and text block edges. The front free endpaper bears a small, neat contemporary ink inscription from a previous owner. The original dust wrapper, featuring the striking artwork by Sir William Orpen, presents beautifully but displays some moderate signs of shelf-wear, most notably a chip to the head of the spine panel and some light age-toning and minor spotting to the rear and spine panels. It remains unclipped, retaining the original '7s. 6d. net' price. Catalogue Note: This is a true first edition, first printing of H.G. Wells's satirical and allegorical novel, presenting in the highly desirable original dust wrapper. The striking and evocative dust wrapper artwork was designed by the acclaimed Irish war artist Sir William Orpen, specifically created 'after reading Mr. Blettsworthy on Rampole Island in proof,' a detail prominently noted on the front flap. Copies retaining this fragile wrapper, particularly those that remain unclipped and in such well-preserved condition, are increasingly scarce on the open market. The front free endpaper bears a neat contemporary ink inscription, providing a charming, albeit standard, trace of early readership. A sharp and imaginative satire, Mr. Blettsworthy on Rampole Island follows Arnold Blettsworthy, a refined English gentleman whose life takes a drastic turn after a betrayal in love and business. Seeking solace at sea, he suffers a shipwreck and finds himself stranded on Rampole Island, a strange and savage land populated by cannibals and surviving Megatheria (giant sloths). Here, Blettsworthy is spared death only by being deemed a 'Sacred Lunatic.' As he navigates this barbaric society, the novel reveals itself as a biting Swiftian allegory, using the absurdities of the islanders to parody the hypocrisies, rituals, and institutions of modern society, ultimately culminating in his return to an equally chaotic world tearing itself apart in the Great War.

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