LAWRENCE, D. H. [David Herbert, 1885-1930]

[Lady Chatterley's Lover] My Skirmish with Jolly Roger [offered with:] A Propos of Lady Chatterley's Lover. Being an essay extended from "My Skirmish with Jolly Roger"

New York / London: Random House / Mandrake Press Ltd, 41 Museum Street, 1929 / 1930. Hardcover. Copy No. 241 of D. H. Lawrence's separately published introduction to the Paris popular edition of Lady Chatterley's Lover, together with the first trade edition of the expanded introduction, published the following year under the title A Propos of Lady Chatterley’s Lover. Jolly Roger: Slim Demy 8vo (218 x 147mm): [12]pp, with scarce erratum slip laid in. Publisher's speckled beige paper-covered boards, matching beige paper title label printed in black to upper cover, patterned end papers printed in rose and black. A Very Fine copy without noticeable flaw. A Propos: Slim crown 8vo (189 x 115mm): 62,[2]pp, with title-page vignette. Publisher's French blue cloth ruled and lettered in brown; salmon-pink illustrated dust jacket ruled and lettered in black and priced 3/6. An excellent example, tightly bound and clean throughout. Roberts A48 (Although the limitation statement states that 600 copies were printed, “the first printing consisted of 700 copies according to the publishers.") and A48b. Fine / Fine. Item #BB2647

These introductions were Lawrence's response to the controversy of Lady Chatterley's Lover and the rampant piracy of the novel. In the spring of 1928, Lawrence had commissioned the Tipografia Guintina, in Florence, to print Lady Chatterley's Lover after it was rejected by numerous English publishers. He planned to sell one thousand signed and numbered copies for £2 each, with friends acting as agents. By the end of the year, nearly all copies were sold, despite (or perhaps because of) the novel being banned from the United States and about to be suppressed in London. In these introductions, Lawrence took a two-pronged approach to the defense of Lady Chatterley’s Lover. He began by explaining his decision to bring out an authorized popular edition, in response to the piracies. Then he broached the topic of sex , arguing in favor of treating sex respectfully but explicitly in literature. N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition, with dust jackets carefully preserved in archival, removable mylar sleeves. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed. (Fine Editions Ltd is a member of the Independent Online Booksellers Association, and we subscribe to its codes of ethics.).

Price: $326.00