The Major Novels and Short Stories -
Jerome K Jerome
1886-1908 - Various, Bristol and London - All first edition first issue except for Three Men in a Boat (Second Issue) and Tommy and Co. (cheap edition).
A beautiful Zaehnsdorf bound set in ten volumes, consisting of: On the Stage and Off. London; The Idle Thoughts of An Idle Fellow; Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog); Told After Supper; Diary of a Pilgrimage; Novel Notes; The Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow; Three Men on the Bummel; Tea-Table Talk; and Tommy and Co.
obviously the set includes one of the funniest English books ever written, ‘Three Men in a Boat’, of which in the words of Jerome K. Jerome ‘other books may excel this in depth of thought and knowledge of human nature: other books may rival it in originality and size; but, for hopeless and incurable veracity, nothing yet discovered can surpass it’, which could sum up a number of the other works here.
Jerome Klapka Jerome (1859-1927) was born in Walsall, but moved to London with his family as a young boy. After leaving school at fourteen, he worked as a railway clerk, but spent much of his spare time acting with various theatre companies and reading in the library of the British Museum; his first novel, On the Stage – and Off was loosely based on his thespian experiences. His 1899 novel, Three Men in a Boat – a fictional though exaggerated account of an actual boat trip on the River Thames that Jerome took with two friends – became a best-seller on both sides of the Atlantic, despite lacklustre critic reviews, selling a million copies in America alone, and bringing it’s author world wide fame. Titles, publisher, date, edition, and pagination:-
1. On the Stage and Off. London: Leadenhall Press, [1891] First Illustrated Edition (first published without illustrations in 1885). T.4,571 to verso of title page (later impression had ‘T4,571./2’). pp. [4] 219 [5] illustrations included in pagination.
2. The Idle Thoughts of An Idle Fellow. London: Field & Tuer, Leadenhall Press, E.C. (T.4281 to verso of title page), [1886]. First edition, first issue with Textual errors: p. 41, line 2: ‘realy’; p. 98, line 5: ‘smypathy’. pp. [10] 172 [4].
3. Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog). Bristol: J. W. Arrowsmith, 1889. First Edition Second issue, with publisher’s address 11 Quay Street, p.217 ending in ‘stream’, the ornamental initial ‘T’ on p.1 has a flaw below the head of the dragon on the left side, and there is no moon in the illustration on p.20. pp. [10] 315 [5].
4. Told After Supper. London: Leadenhall Press, 1891. First Edition. [10] 169 [5].
5. Diary of a Pilgrimage. Bristol: J.W. Arrowsmith, [1891] First Edition. [4] vi 7-306 [4].
6. Novel Notes. London: Leadenhall Press, Ltd. 1893. First Edition. [2] xv [1] 292 [4].
7. The Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. London: Hurst and Blackett, Limited. 1898. First Edition. pp. [10] 360 [4].
8. Three Men on the Bummell. Bristol: J. W. Arrowsmith, [1900] First Edition. pp. [2] 328 [4]
9. Tea-Table Talk. London: Hutchinson & Co., 1903. First Edition. pp. [4] 128 [4]
10. Tommy and Co. London: Hutchinson & Co., 1908. Cheap Edition, Hutchinson’s 6d. copyright novels (First Printed 1904) pp. [4] 284 [4].
Reference: The Jerome K Jerome Society, Bibliography. Finely and uniformly bound by Zaehnsdorf in red three-quarter morocco over marbled boards, spines gilt, gilt tool and black onlay to compartments, raised bands, top edges gilt, marbled endpapers. Condition: Very good minor wear to edges, corners, and raised bands, Told After Supper with wear to spine and slightly loose front board, internally generally a near fine set, some toning and foxing in places, gilt to spines toned. Ref: 111878 Price: HK$ 15,000
obviously the set includes one of the funniest English books ever written, ‘Three Men in a Boat’, of which in the words of Jerome K. Jerome ‘other books may excel this in depth of thought and knowledge of human nature: other books may rival it in originality and size; but, for hopeless and incurable veracity, nothing yet discovered can surpass it’, which could sum up a number of the other works here.
Jerome Klapka Jerome (1859-1927) was born in Walsall, but moved to London with his family as a young boy. After leaving school at fourteen, he worked as a railway clerk, but spent much of his spare time acting with various theatre companies and reading in the library of the British Museum; his first novel, On the Stage – and Off was loosely based on his thespian experiences. His 1899 novel, Three Men in a Boat – a fictional though exaggerated account of an actual boat trip on the River Thames that Jerome took with two friends – became a best-seller on both sides of the Atlantic, despite lacklustre critic reviews, selling a million copies in America alone, and bringing it’s author world wide fame. Titles, publisher, date, edition, and pagination:-
1. On the Stage and Off. London: Leadenhall Press, [1891] First Illustrated Edition (first published without illustrations in 1885). T.4,571 to verso of title page (later impression had ‘T4,571./2’). pp. [4] 219 [5] illustrations included in pagination.
2. The Idle Thoughts of An Idle Fellow. London: Field & Tuer, Leadenhall Press, E.C. (T.4281 to verso of title page), [1886]. First edition, first issue with Textual errors: p. 41, line 2: ‘realy’; p. 98, line 5: ‘smypathy’. pp. [10] 172 [4].
3. Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog). Bristol: J. W. Arrowsmith, 1889. First Edition Second issue, with publisher’s address 11 Quay Street, p.217 ending in ‘stream’, the ornamental initial ‘T’ on p.1 has a flaw below the head of the dragon on the left side, and there is no moon in the illustration on p.20. pp. [10] 315 [5].
4. Told After Supper. London: Leadenhall Press, 1891. First Edition. [10] 169 [5].
5. Diary of a Pilgrimage. Bristol: J.W. Arrowsmith, [1891] First Edition. [4] vi 7-306 [4].
6. Novel Notes. London: Leadenhall Press, Ltd. 1893. First Edition. [2] xv [1] 292 [4].
7. The Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. London: Hurst and Blackett, Limited. 1898. First Edition. pp. [10] 360 [4].
8. Three Men on the Bummell. Bristol: J. W. Arrowsmith, [1900] First Edition. pp. [2] 328 [4]
9. Tea-Table Talk. London: Hutchinson & Co., 1903. First Edition. pp. [4] 128 [4]
10. Tommy and Co. London: Hutchinson & Co., 1908. Cheap Edition, Hutchinson’s 6d. copyright novels (First Printed 1904) pp. [4] 284 [4].
Reference: The Jerome K Jerome Society, Bibliography. Finely and uniformly bound by Zaehnsdorf in red three-quarter morocco over marbled boards, spines gilt, gilt tool and black onlay to compartments, raised bands, top edges gilt, marbled endpapers. Condition: Very good minor wear to edges, corners, and raised bands, Told After Supper with wear to spine and slightly loose front board, internally generally a near fine set, some toning and foxing in places, gilt to spines toned. Ref: 111878 Price: HK$ 15,000