126 ORWELL, George. Nineteen Eighty-Four. The facsimile of the extant manuscript. Weston, MA: M&S Press, 1984 First edition, number 36 of 55 deluxe copies (from a total edition of 330 copies) specially bound by the Grey Parrot bindery, quoting the infamous slogans of The Party on the front cover. Published in 1984, this sumptuous privately printed edition presents in facsimile all that survives of the preliminary draft versions of Nineteen Eight-Four , a manuscript described by Sonia Orwell as “the only MS of any of George’s books in existence”. Orwell’s classic work of dystopian fiction was begun in 1946 and composed in four stages. The extant manuscript provides the narrative of Nineteen Eighty-Four in outline from the beginning almost to the conclusion, with some gaps. As noted by Peter Davison in his Introduction to this edition, “despite all the rewriting revealed by this facsimile, it is remarkable how closely what has survived adheres to the main sweep of the narrative of Nineteen Eighty- Four . All the principal features, except the Appendix on Newspeak, are present, suggesting that the story had been pretty fully formed in Orwell’s mind by the time he sat down to write it”. This privately printed limited edition was limited to 330 copies of which there were two issues: 275 copies with morocco-backed marbled boards and 55 copies, described as “special copies” which are bound in full morocco by the Grey Parrot bindery, with a folding box. The present copy is from the smallest and most
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deluxe issue, and the only one with the party slogans incorporated into the binding. The volume comprises a preface by Daniel G. Siegel, an Introduction by Peter Davison, 190 colour facsimile illustrations and a full transcript of Orwell’s manuscript. Folio. Original blue morocco with black onlays by Grey Parrot, Easthampton, spine lettered in gilt, panel to front cover with lettering “War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength” in gilt. Light grey endpapers. Housed in original blue morocco-backed grey cloth folding box with spine lettered in gilt. 190 colour facsimile illustrations. Fine condition. In original numbered cardboard carton. £2,000 [157705]
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text without loss, else contents generally clean and fresh throughout. A very good set. ¶ Ziegenfuss 2, 216. £3,500 [155028] 125 O’BRIAN, Patrick. Complete set of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin novels. London: First editions. A complete set of this celebrated sequence of novels capturing life in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, which is accounted one of the best liked series of historical novels ever written. 20 volumes, octavo. Attractively bound in recent dark blue morocco, spines lettered and decorated with ship motifs in gilt, raised bands, single rule to boards gilt, marbled endpapers, gilt edges. The occasional minor blemish, an excellent set. £10,000 [154441] Collins [&] Harper Collins, 1970–99 HANDSOME SET OF FIRST EDITIONS
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All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk
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