A Modern Jezebel

Irene Nemirovsky

Published by Henry Holt And Company, New York, 1937

About this Item

First American (and English) Edition. Henry Holt First Editions are identified by no additional printings (NAP) prior to 1944 or 1947. Irène Némirovsky was a novelist of Ukrainian Jewish origin born in Kiev Ukraine under the Russian Empire. She lived more than half her life in France and wrote in French, but was denied French citizenship. Arrested as a Jew under the racial laws, which did not take into account her conversion to Roman Catholicism, she died at Auschwitz at the age of 39. Successful in her day, she is now best known for the posthumously published Suite Française. A movie of the same name, based on the novel, was released in 2015. You can see the covers in the photographs I've provided. They do have a fair amount of handling soiling. There are a few stains. There isn't much wear. There are a couple of vertical creases on the spine. The red lettering there is still quite bright. The spine ends are in good shape. Significantly, there isn't any rub-through at the corners or six edges. The book is solidly bound, not perfect. No page is loose or detached. There is a very slight space at the gutter between the back of the second blank front end paper and half-title page. It is off the top edge and goes down only about 2 inches. I turned over every page in the book and there is only one other instance of this. The gutter between pages 200 and 201 has a very slight space from top to bottom. Both pages are tightly bound. The book was probably just left open flat in that place. I counted about a dozen pages (most in a row) that had a top corner crease. Also, while the majority the pages are quite clean, I counted nearly 60 pages with one or two instances of a light stain, often speck-sized, and in almost every instance away from the print. I've provided a photograph to represent this. Amongst these stains is about a 1/2 inch one off the middle edge of the three blank rear end papers and the final six or so pages of the book. I provided a photo of that as well. Positively, no one has written their name or anything else anywhere in the book. And there aren't any markings or attachments. The top page edge is a pinkish-red. While it would be ideal if this book were in pristine condition, the reality is that it was published in 1937 and was obviously read by a previous owner or owners. I think it's in solid enough shape to be rated Good Plus as all of its flaws are cosmetic, not structural are substantive. Nevertheless, if you've been looking for this book, I'm providing the other option, an option that would save you $405.00. Seller Inventory # 001501

Bibliographic Details

Title: A Modern Jezebel

Publisher: Henry Holt And Company, New York

Publication Date: 1937

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Good Plus

Edition: 1st Edition