Scarce in the wrapper

Cummings, E.E. ~ The Enormous Room : With An Introduction By Robert Graves

First UK Printing : Jonathan Cape, London : 1928

The First UK Printing published by Jonathan Cape, London in 1928. 8vo., two-tone burgundy cloth, lettered in gilt to backstrip with publisher’s device embossed centrally to lower board; in the unclipped wrapper (7s. 6d. net), ruled and lettered in black and red; The BOOK is in Very Good++ condition, mild pushing and fading at the spine ends ; end-papers mildly offset; free from inscriptions. the Very Good- WRAPPER evenly toned, shelf worn and rubbed, with toning along folds, and some heavier nicking and chipping to the spine and ends of folds, evidence of previous tape repairs now leaving residue; with some splits and closed tears, the longest running to 7.5cm along spine; faint cup stain to upper panel; unrestored, and seldom found at all. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. First edition of Cummings’ autobiographical novel, with an introduction by Robert Graves. Edward Estlin Cummings enlisted in the Norton-Harjes Ambulance Corps in 1917, and while on the boat to France he met the American writer William Slater Brown. The pair became close friends, exploring Paris together and befriending French soldiers. It wasn’t long, however, before their anti-war views, expressed in letters sent to their families at home, drew the attention of the French military, and they were arrested under suspicion of espionage and ‘undesirable activities’. Along with a number of other detainees, they were held in a large room for several months, with Cummings released (after much effort from his father), four months later, and Brown following on in February 1918. It was his experiences while under arrest, as well as the fascinating characters he met, that later influenced The Enormous Room. The title refers both to the physical space in which the author was imprisoned, as well as being an allegory for the author’s mind and memories. Much of the narrative revolves around his fellow inmates and guards - whom he nicknames the ‘Zulu’, ‘Trick Raincoat’, and ‘the Fighting Sheeney’, amongst others. The London Review refers to Cummings’ timeless work as “A free-spirited novel…a stinging denunciation of the stupidity of military authority, and a precursor to later books like ​Catch-22 and ​MASH. Cummings’ novel is an audacious, uninhibited, lyrical, and lasting contribution to American literature.” A superb allegory of the human condition under authoritarian regimes. First editions are scarce indeed with the wrapper in any condition.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Very Good++
JACKET: Very Good-