THIRST: And Other One-Act Plays.

Boston: The Gorham Press. 1914. First edition, first printing. First edition, first printing. Original grey paper-covered boards, the spine bound in beige cloth, with cream paper labels lettered in brown to the spine and front panel, in dustwrapper. A very near fine copy, the binding square and firm, the contents clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. Housed in a fleece-lined custom made box with marbled boards, quarter-bound in black leather with a black label lettered in gilt to the spine. Minimal wear/soiling to spine tips, and a small area of abrasion to the lower edge of the rear pastedown where a small bookseller's label appears to have been removed. The bright dustwrapper shows very minor general soiling, with an area of darkening at the head of the spine (c. 3 cm) spreading (and becoming lighter) to the rear panel and also (minimally) to the front panel. The upper spine shows a small (0.5 cm x 0.5 cm) area of loss, and a 1 cm tear to the outer fold with a little associated loss. Rubbing with minor loss to lower spine tip and outer corners. The area on the spine where the original price ($1.00 net) was printed has been neatly cut out. Altogether, a bright, attractive copy of the author's first book. ''Thirst' and Other One- Act Plays', O'Neill's first book, was published at his actor-father's expense, who paid $450 to The Gorham Press in Boston to produce the volume. Published in 17 August 1914, 1000 copies were issued. According to Stephen Black, it "sold only a few copies and received hardly any reviews". The five concisely titled plays ('Thirst', 'The Web', 'Warnings', 'Fog', and 'Recklessness') prefigure many themes and preoccupations that would appear in the author's later and better-known plays. (Stephen A. Black, 'Eugene O'Neill: Beyond Mourning and Tragedy', 1999; Atkinson A 1-I-1). Further details and images for any of the items listed are available on request. Lucius Books welcomes direct contact with our customers.