THE AWKWARD AGE

1899. London: William Heinemann, 1899. 2 pp undated ads. Original blind-stamped blue cloth.

First Edition of this novel, written almost entirely in dialogue, of Nanda Brookenham's "awkward age" of transition away from her mother's marriage-marketing and toward taking charge of her own life. This appears to have been a colonial copy that was transferred back for domestic use (according to E&L, 475 copies were so transferred): the book is in the second binding state (with nine tulip buds rather than four irises on the front cover), is printed on smooth wove paper, and has a title page that is printed all in black and is dated in Arabic numbers -- all aspects denoting colonial copies. The half-title, which would have identified this as a copy meant for the colonies, was excised by the publisher when it was re-designated for domestic use; most such copies do not have the final ad leaf either, but this one does. On the front cover, "THE AWKWARD AGE" measures 2-7/8" across (shorter than on all three copies cited by Supino); on the spine, "AWKWARD AGE" (all in one line) is in a much narrower font than the other four lines of print. This is a near-fine copy, slightly darkened on the spine and with very minor rubbing at the extremities. See Supino 53.3.0 + 53.4.0 + 53.5.0 (all variations of colonial sheets redirected to the domestic market, none of them quite the same as this); Edel & Laurence A53a.