Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde.

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

Publication: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1886, New York

First edition. The true first edition, published on Jan. 5, 1886, preceding the London edition by four days. Original yellow printed wrappers, [viii], 138 pp., [14 pp. ads.], 8vo. Yellow wrappers are lightly soiled, former owner's inked name at the top edge of the front cover, moderate wear to the spine, lightly chipped at the extremities, former owner's inked initials on the half title page, else internally clean and tight copy of a fragile book. A very good copy of the fragile true first edition of this classic of English literature, and one of the greatest of all masterpieces of psychological and moral horror. Clute and Nicholls, eds., THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCIENCE FICTION, page 1165 say ".... a Faustian moral fable which takes the form of a tale of mystery and horror. It precedes Oscar Wilde's THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (1891), which in some respects resembles it, by five years, and is the prototype of all stories of multiple personality, transformation and possession; in some respects it is also a tale of drug dependency." According to Currey, 4200 copies were printed, of which 3000 were issued in paper wrappers and 1200 issued in green cloth. This issue in wrappers is rarely found today. Housed in a cloth slipcase and matching chemise with leather label on the spine and titles stamped in gold. Haycraft/Queen Cornerstone title.

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