About this Item
A true first printing of the first translation into English, published in 1913. This was the third volume of Dostoevsky's works translated by Constance Garnett between 1912 and 1920, and notably not one of the titles translated into English by Frederick Whishaw in the 1880s. Published as Volume III of the Novels of Fyodor Dostoevsky. ***A very good copy in scarlet cloth-covered boards with gilt titles to the spine and a blind-stamped device on the front board. The gilt has oxidised on the spine, which is also somewhat dulled. The boards have some marks and rubbing commensurate with age and handling, but there is virtually no wear to the cloth at all - just some light creasing to the head and tail of the spine, which is to be expected. Corners quite sharp without much wear to the cloth. There are some minor marks to the cloth at the top edge of the front board. The top edge of the page block is just slightly dusty and darkened. There is none of the usual foxing to the edges of the page block, and the binding is tight and square. Internally the book is very good, with just a pencil inscription to the front free endpaper. No splitting to the fragile binding. Some foxing to the endpapers, and a little sporadic foxing to the first and last few pages, but the interior pages are clean, with no significant creases or tears. The book is printed on very thin paper, and some of the gatherings remain uncut. Spine tight. No dustwrapper. ***195mm x 135mm. 637 pages. ***'Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky or Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy (11 Nov 1821 - 9 Feb 1881), sometimes transliterated as Dostoyevsky, was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist and journalist. Dostoevsky's literary works explore the human condition in the troubled political, social, and spiritual atmospheres of 19th-century Russia, and engage with a variety of philosophical and religious themes. His most acclaimed novels include "Crime and Punishment" (1866), "The Idiot" (1869), "Demons" or "The Possessed" (1872), and "The Brothers Karamazov" (1880). His 1864 novella, "Notes from Underground", is considered to be one of the first works of existentialist literature. Numerous literary critics rate him as one of the greatest novelists in all of world literature, as many of his works are considered highly influential masterpieces.' ***'"The Possessed", also known as "Demons", or "The Devils", was first published in Russian in serial form in The Russian Messenger between 1871 and 1872, and in book form in 1872 as Bésy. It is considered one of the four masterworks written by Dostoevsky after his return from Siberian exile. ***'Constance Clara Garnett (née Black; 19 Dec 1861 - 17 Dec 1946) was an English translator of nineteenth-century Russian literature. She was the first English translator to render numerous volumes of Anton Chekhov's work into English and the first to translate almost all of Fyodor Dostoevsky's fiction into English. She also rendered works by Ivan Turgenev, Leo Tolstoy, Nikolai Gogol, Ivan Goncharov, Alexander Ostrovsky, and Alexander Herzen into English. Altogether, she translated 71 volumes of Russian literature, many of which are still in print today, and her translations received acclaim from numerous critics and authors, including Joseph Conrad and D. H. Lawrence. Ernest Hemingway admired her translations of Fyodor Dostoevsky and once told a friend that he was unable to read through Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace "until I got the Constance Garnett translation."' (Wiki) ***A true first printing of the Constance Garnett first translation into English, in very nice original condition. First English editions of Dostoevsky's great novels from this period are now scarce and highly desirable. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc. ***. Seller Inventory # 9001z
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Bibliographic Details
Title: THE POSSESSED - a novel in three parts (...
Publisher: William Heinemann Ltd., London
Publication Date: 1913
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Very Good
Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket
Edition: First Edition in English
