CHANCE. A Tale in Two Parts

1914. [the John Quinn copy] London: Methuen & Co., (1914). 8 pp ads dated Autumn 1913. Original green cloth decorated in gilt.

First Edition, first published state (Supino's "State B"), of the novel that revived Conrad's career, a popular smash after about a decade without one. Conrad had been working on it since 1906. It was the success of CHANCE that caused many of his earlier works to be reprinted. The "first published state" is any of the first three impressions that has a cancel title leaf: quoting from Supino, "Because 4051 copies of the first three impressions were furnished with cancels, it is not possible to determine to which of the first three impressions any of the various states belong." Supino goes on to list States "A" through "H" of the first published state, each with various differences -- with "F" and "G" reading "Second Edition" and with "H" reading "Third Edition." This copy is in Supino's "State B" (with a cancel title leaf dated 1914 on its verso, withOUT closing quotation marks after "Narcissus" on the half-title verso, with the 8-page Autumn ad catalogue with THE MYSTERY OF DR. FU MANCHU leading off p. 6 (but with no other ad catalogue), and with the spine brass reading "METHUEN." This is a very good copy, with minor wear at the head of the spine and with light cover soil; there is some foxing on leaves toward each end. Supino A17.7.0 and "State B" on p. 228; Cagle A17a.10. Housed in an open-backed marbled-board slipcase. Provenance: bookplate of John Quinn (1870-1924) -- the Ohio-born lawyer who was not simply a major collector of 1890-1924 literature, he was an important patron of literary figures. He gave advice and financial assistance to Ezra Pound and to T.S. Eliot (in gratitude, Eliot sent Quinn the original manuscript of THE WASTE LAND), he helped W.B. Yeats found the Abbey Theatre, and he fought censorship battles over ULYSSES for James Joyce. But Quinn was especially connected to Conrad, as he bought up most of Conrad's manuscripts to provide the author with much-needed cash. Also: discreet bookplate of the Conrad bibliographer David J. Supino (also, his penciled notation appears on the front free endpaper).